StarFox 2: Reflections of Star Fox
by Kit-Karamak
Summary: Chapter 23: Shears is introduced to the bad guys, Wolf and crew take center stage and their first act of business is to fire Pigma and Andrew.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: _In order to save the header, I moved the Foreword to the end of the chapter. In it, I explain my intentions for this story and explain why I've tackled certain subjects the way I did. I know I rush through this first chapter by skipping forward by a year or two, every so often but… I'm trying to get to the action and save the 'missing details' for later flashback scenes! _

**Disclaimer**:  
This story is written for entertainment purposes ONLY. This story is written _without_ permission of the Nintendo StarFox License. You may redistribute (post it elsewhere) if you like, so long as _this_ disclaimer and _my name_ remain attached to it. Also, if you decide to redistribute it, please do not attempt to make a profit off of it; Nintendo will sue you. Finally, if you wish to post this story and / or the other Reflections Series stories, do me a favor and fix all the typos, spelling and grammatical mistakes. Thanks!

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* * *

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By popular request…

**Reflections Of Fox McCloud**

By  
Kit-Karamak  
Aka  
Ken Weaver

Prologue:

**Cerulean locks of hair** framed the woman's ethereal visage; an intense emerald gaze locked with Fox McCloud's own. She lifted her paws, placing her softly padded fingertips upon either side of his face. A matching sapphire-colored garment clung to her curvaceous body, accenting her slender waist and voluptuous form.

Precious gems adorned a circlet over her forehead, disappearing into her hair. White beads decorated several chosen locks of her bangs. "Do… I know you?" Fox asked. He saw the stoic expression upon her velvety-furred muzzle develop into a demure smile. She lowered her chin and lifted her eyes. Without logic or reason, Fox felt compelled to lean towards her. His head tilted to the side, closing eighty percent of the space between them.

Her head lifted, submitting the last twenty percent of that gap until their lips brushed together. Their kiss felt like _home_. New …yet… _familiar_; the sensation of their passion-bruised tiers meshing together caused his heart to beat faster. The world around them began to distort and Fox found himself unquestioningly losing visual focus. The world melted and brightened and the sound of reveille filled his ears. Her sea-green eyes blurred into florescent white light bulbs hanging above his bunk.

Groggy, the young teenager muttered in disappointment about the loss of his dream. "After I get out of here, I'm never staying on the top bunk again." Somewhere in the background, a call for _General Quarters_ came over the loudspeaker. His words became drowned out by the shouting of an authoritative voice.

"Forward I.G. sounds _nothing_ like TAPS! Up and on your feet, recruits!" The voice seemed to float from various points of origin, leaving Fox to assume the man walked through the bunk aisle, shouting at the slew of teenage boys. The sounds of them scurrying about, slamming lockers and making their bunks filled McCloud's ears. Something soft touched Fox's shoulder.

"Dude, wake up." The voice didn't belong to anyone Fox knew. It came again, louder than before. "Get up, dude. He's almost here."

Fox lifted his paws, rubbing at his eyes with a soft groan. "I think she wore a blue dress or maybe some sort of body suit. I couldn't be sure; I didn't have enough time to really look." His own words made little sense to anyone other than himself.

The soft touch on his shoulder slid down to his sternum and the paw closed around Fox's t-shirt, pulling on it. Fox felt another paw on his face but, unlike the girl in his dream, the touch felt firm. A thumb slid across McCloud's face until it reached his eye, prying it open. His dull jade hues met with some sort of canine boy in a t-shirt. The young man looked to be a hybrid; somewhere between a husky and a greyhound. Over the boy's shoulder, McCloud caught sight of an adult in uniform walking towards them.

Fox's eyes snapped open and he pivoted about on his tail, kicking his legs over the rail of his bunk. Without thinking, Fox arched his body forward, hips first, then grunted in unison to his feet meeting the floor. His knees bent, absorbing the impact and he dropped to his paws. A gray-furred palm slid into McCloud's view; he looked up at it with a touch of confusion in his gaze. He lifted his right wrist to meet and take the palm of his bunkmate. The canine gave a tug on Fox's paw, drawing the young vulpine to his feet.

"William Gray," said the boy. "Call me Bill; I suggest you look _more_ busy and _less_ groggy. You can tell me about the girl in the blue dress later, dude." He afforded McCloud with a grin then leaned down to begin fixing the mattress of the bottom bunk.

"Fox McCloud," replied the sandy-furred teenager. He wanted to correct Gray by saying, 'you mean bus_ier_?' but with all the commotion, he decided to start on his own bunk instead.

The adult in uniform began speaking in a clear, loud tone again. "This is your one-week vacation to the real world, girls! If, when you leave the academy, you make the decision to join the military, you will live _just like this_ for EIGHT solid weeks. You will endure grueling physical training every morning, noon and night! You will learn how to wear a tie and tie an ascot. You will learn that women like a clean, groomed man whose shirt buttons must be perfectly aligned with the zipper flap of their trousers! You will learn how to iron your uniforms and stand at attention without slouching! You will learn how to soldier in the Cornerian Army and, if you are lucky, you will learn how to _fly_ in the Cornerian air corps!" The man continued to ramble, walking through the aisle.

Fox's expression melted into a thoughtful frown. '_Six more days of this crap before we can get dormitory beds at the academy…_' He sucked in his breath and finished making his bed. All ready, the idea of military life didn't seem to agree with the teenaged kit.

* * *

Two years and fifteen days later…

**Fox McCloud lay in his bunk.** His ears twitched with the light rumbling from outside and his eyes fluttered yet they remained shut. He tossed his head listlessly for a moment then sat up, wide-eyed with a gasp. His young paws groped at the blanket, drawing it into the tight grasp his fists. His breathing mirrored his racing heart. He lifted a paw to touch the moist fur on his face, in an attempt to become calm.

"You're panting." The voice came from above. Fox closed his paw around the bar to the top bunk and peered up at a steel colored face. Bill Gray leaned over the side of his elevated mattress, gazing down at Fox with a smirk. "Another strange dream about the lady in the blue dress?"

Fox shook his head slowly, "It was clearer this time; I think she had _blue fur_. Dyed maybe?"

"Blue fur?" Bill blinked, furrowing his brows. "Who in the hell has blue fur, dude?"

"Apparently my dream girl," Fox chuckled with a shrug. "But I didn't see her face; that frustrates me _so_ much! This time, we had a kid and stuff but then the same damn thing happens; every time I sleep in… every time I let the dream go _too far_... It turns into a fight with Doctor Andross Oikonny…or Bowman, or _whatever_ his last name is – I don't remember; she becomes forgotten and the whole fight revolves around me. At least one of the times I dreamt about that ape, I remember Slippy being there… that was kind of weird."

"Slippy Toad?" Bill slid out of his bunk, dropping down to the floor besides Fox. "The guy from the Mechanic's class?"

McCloud offered a slow nod. "_His_ father is an associate of _my_ father. Beltino, I think; I hear he's running for City Council, too."

Bill stood up straight then arched his back and stretched. "Nice. So why don't you ask the Coordinator if you can visit the other side of the base? Go and talk to Doctor Andross and see if you get any strange vibes from him. Call it… the _diplomatic_ solution, dude."

Without warning, Fox decided to change the subject, asking, "Wanna go to town with me? I was going to pick up that new game today; it's out at Speeding Comet Toys, in the business district, Sector Four."

"You mean that mega toy store off of Route 67?" Bill stood up, stretched with a grunt then cracked his knuckles. He turned towards the wall and flexed in front of a mirror. "Video games… That's something I've not done in ages, dude. All the girls want tickets to the _Gun_ _Show_," he said while tightening his forearm. "I've hardly had time for video games, you know?"

Fox cast a grin at Gray, slid out of his bunk and said, "They're so realistic now it keeps you sharp, pilot." With a shrug, Fox decided to change the subject again. "What are you going to do after the academy?"

"I'm thinking Cornerian Air Guard. I'll transfer out to Katina, where it's ridiculously laid back then suck up all the cash as a duel-team squadron leader; you know how small their squadrons are over there… It'll be a piece of cake to run double shift. That way, I don't get bored and get double pay incentives. It's sweet as candy, dude. You should take my advice and head out there with me."

"Heck no," Fox chuckled. "My father is going mercenary, soon. He's bought a ship and a piloting droid. I think that's my calling. Screw the military, I give orders not take them."

"…Hey!" Bill turned back towards Fox, dropping his paws at his sides. "Don't like my advice? See if I help _you_ again!" He shook his head and repeated Fox's statement with a sarcastic tone. "Screw the military? I think your perceptions of the military are completely Charlie Foxtrot," he said, using military letter words to spell out the abbreviation _CF_ – a term usually denoted to mean _Cluster F'ed_. "Oh!" This time, _Bill_ changed the subject. "There's this girl, who graduated last year; she's a year older than us and… get this… yesterday, she became the youngest Chief Test Pilot in Cornerian History. She's supposed to be hot _and_ loaded. She's the daughter of the Spaceship Magnate CEO, Zerda Phoenix."

Fox stretched a bit then announced, "Hey Father Phoenix, I came to take your daughter out and teach her how to _really_ fly! …Yeah right, Gray. Hot _and_ loaded? You know my track record with girls, right?"

"You're so damn shy," Bill groaned. He feigned a melodramatic collapse and put the back of his paw to his forehead. "…At least around women, anyhow. Get a grip and go out on a date, Fox."

McCloud grinned. "Yeah, yeah; I'm heading into town. Wanna go? I know this place that has the _best_ horned lobster."

"Are you going to take your blue-furred dreamboat girl?" Bill turned back to the mirror then reached for a scarf above it. "Don't chase her away by stuttering and stammering at her, dude."

"_Dreamboat_?" Fox gawked at his friend. "Is that seriously a word? And, thank you Captain Redundancy, I won't stutter _or_ stammer in front of _any_ girls."

Bill looked tickled, turning back to Fox with a smirk. The greyhound-mixed-husky wore skivvies and a tank-top with his flight scarf. "Yeah, you'll be too busy playing your video game instead of flying a _real_ M-Class fighter."

"That's cool," Fox replied. "You go fly as a soldier, while I take all the girls to Persimmon's." McCloud feigned a grin. "The tallest department store in Corneria always makes a lady smile. Then, I'll get a room at the Lunar Stone and take her for a 'swim' in the Jacuzzi."

Bill erupted into laughter. "Jeeeze! Your dream-girl must have _really_ got you all wound up, Fox." He tossed the flight scarf onto the top bunk then patted his friend on the shoulder. "I've never seen you talk _hardcore_ before. And both of us know you don't have the brass buttons to take a girl over to Lunar Stone."

"Yeah, you're probably right. But I'm only seventeen. Why worry about girls yet? I'll have time for it when I put some money aside, later."

Bill's laughter tapered off into chuckling. "On the _cusp _of turning seventeen, you mean. Goddess be, man. You and money; sometimes it's all you talk about."

Fox shrugged. "Dad has me all hopped up on this Mercenary thing; he's got a ship, a pilot droid and…"

Bill lifted his paws, palms out. "Yeah, ya told me, dude! So, have you seen the advertisements for those dogfight movies in this year's Cornerian Film Festival?"

Fox shook his head, reaching for a comb on the nightstand. "I've been studying; I've not seen any commercials for it. What about you? What're your plans for this weekend?"

"What did I do _last_ year, Fox?" The corner of Bill's muzzle tugged back into a grin.

"I'd forgotten about that," Fox replied with a quirky smirk. "You totally dogged me last year; just because I wouldn't use a fake ID to go in and see those dancing girls down at Exotic Aroma. I think those girls are in a constant state of Estrus, all year 'round."

Bill nodded in return with a shrug. "Uh-huh, then you sat on the waterfront for an hour until a street vendor came up, asked you to buy two tickets to the Cornerian Film Festival and you bought them. You go with Slippy then come back and tell me how _great_ the festival was and how I should have gone instead of watching strippers. And now, you're telling me you've not even kept up with this year's lineup. For a guy who likes money, you're a total goodie-goody at times, dude."

Fox turned to his dresser and grabbed his toiletries for the shower room. "I'm not unable to make friends with people who _aren't_ goody-two-shoes, Bill. Just because I consider you and Slippy to be my two closest pals doesn't mean I'm… aw never mind."

Bill grabbed his pants, pulling them up over his left foot. "I'm sure you'll do just fine with someone like Wolf O'Donnell. I bet you guys could become great friends."

"Speaking of which," said Fox, "O'Donnell dropped out last week; even _he_ is doing the mercenary thing now. It's just the way to go."

"Neat." Bill worked the pants over his right foot and pulled them up over his legs then fastened them, reaching for a nearby belt. "Anyhow, go on to town, dude. I have P.T. today, I'll catch you tonight. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to find one scum-ball and hang out with them. Personally, I see you avoiding people who aren't devoted to their Academy Education."

"Befriend one scum-ball, Bill? Sure, I'll get right on that." Fox gave the canine a sarcastic grin and walked out of the dorm room, headed for the shower.

* * *

A few hours later…

**Fox McCloud** ambled down the walkway, beneath the main Cornerian underpass, in the shade of the Route 67 skyway. In his back pocket, a video game box peeked out from the blue uniform pants. A matching blazer and hat brought attention from some passing citizens. Fox McCloud dressed sharp today and he knew it. The academy logo, a circular red patch, covered the left breast pocket of his dress jacket.

A rumble of motorcycles paraded up the street, turning at the next intersection. A moment later, a lone bike with a blue-feathered avian rolled up the block then came to a stop adjacent to McCloud. Fox's eyes flitted over the man; he removed his uniform cap and tucked it underneath his arm.

The blue falcon wore a folded red bandana around his forehead, matching the stark red feathers around his eyes. In punk contrast, he wore a pink wife-beater and his head-feathers were spiked to resemble a Mohawk. "Hey, brother, did you see which way my crew went?"

Fox hooked his thumb back at the nearest intersection. "You just missed'em, buddy. Nice uh…." Fox wanted to say _shirt_ but instead, he said, "Bike."

"Hey, you're a pilot right?" The blue-feathered man cut the engine to his ride, a plume of steam gushed out of the bike's rear-mounted turbofan engine.

"Yeah, I fly at the Academy, why?" Fox stuffed his paws into his pockets. "You lookin' to fly?"

"Hell yeah," said the man, adding, "I'm Falco Lombardi and believe me, if I could get my pilot's license, I'd be the baddest boy behind two smoking wing blasters. As it stands, half my gang has a base set up in the asteroid field. Hell, a lot of gangs do. What about you? Ya gonna go military or something?"

Fox shook his head in a polite manner. "No, I've got my eyes set on being a mercenary fighter. If you ask me, there's no money in the military, even with wartime danger pay."

"Yeah?" Falco asked. "Right on, flyboy! Look, I'll tell you what: change is in the winds man… Look at you in your pretty little uniform. I'm freakin' hopped up on becoming a fighter pilot. Can you bring me an application or something? How's that work?"

Fox's expression melted into a thoughtful frown. "Well, you have to pass an exam; they have student loan programs to pay for your classes. Look, if you're _really_ serious about earning your wings, then do me a favor. Sit down and think about this, because you'll have to give up your bike and your look." He sniffed at the avian's beak and tilted his head. "And, most importantly, if you want my help, you have to _promise_ you'll give up the booze. At the very least, you can't drink and fly. Uniforms and flight simulators are a prerequisite."

"Pre-what-quisite?" Falco tilted his head for a moment then said, "Oh, right, they're par for the course, I'm sure. And if you're going to help me, I _promise_ to give up the drinking. I know, I know... I'm operating a motorized vehicle; no more drinking and driving - or flying, or whatever. Do you need a ride or something? I'm serious man; I'm really interested in flying. Let me give you a lift Mister…" The avian trailed off with an expectant tone, as if to ascertain the pilot's name.

"Fox McCloud. Give me a _ride_? I mean… well…" He thought back to what Bill had said earlier then grinned inwardly. Sure, the falcon was a little liquored up but Fox was ready to prove Bill wrong. "Sure, why not. I'm headed back to the academy. You like flying that much huh? You like flight simulation combat video games?" Fox put his cap back upon his head, giving the brim a tug so that it came to his brow.

"Are you kidding?" Lombardi's face lit up. "That's the one cockpit I could school you in this _very_ instant."

"Then let's go," Fox said, climbing onto the back of the fancy looking bike. "I'll tell you everything about the academy, if you're willing to listen. Heck, you could trade your bike towards your first semester entry fees."

"Jeeze Laweeze, slow down; one thing at a time." Falco juiced the engine and turned the handlebars. Throttling the accelerator, he eased back into the lane and made a U-turn. "So much for my boys; I'm sure they're long gone by now, anyhow. What'd you say your name was again? Fox McCloud?"

"You got it," replied Fox, securing the game in his back pocket by shifting his weight on the bike. He reached for two handles on the sides, beneath his hips; the bike merged into traffic. "So you're really interested in changing your whole life just to fly?"

"I can't begin to tell you what Gang Life is like," Falco replied over the howl of the wind. "Maybe I'll explain it to you one day; just know I'm not interested in staying. Several of us are getting out: me, Chad, Dennis, Katt… It's complicated. Crap changed, yanno?"

"It's cool, man." Fox reached up and took the uniform cap from his head. He held it down against his stomach then announced, "You don't need help getting into the academy." He repeated himself a second time and added, "All it takes is for you to go there and sign up. Just like that."

"Just like that," Falco reiterated. After that, the avian grew quiet and Fox did the same.

Once they arrived at the academy gates, Falco came to a stop and Fox slipped off the bike, checking his back pocket for the game. Fox replaced the cap upon his head and gave his blazer a tug, smoothing it of wrinkles.

"Thanks for the ride, Mister Lombardi." Fox offered his right paw.

Falco took the paw with a firm grip and said, "Falco. Which room is yours? I'll come by and own you in that game, later."

"D-wing, room five-fifteen." McCloud paused then he said, "My roommate thinks I'm a bit of a goody-goody. You've been warned."

"Maybe I'll help you mellow out, huh?" Falco smirked then said, "I've got an application to fill out and an entry exam to think about… academic stuff?"

"Yeah, it's not hard." Fox fished out a few credits from his pockets and passed them to the avian. "It costs twenty-five credits to apply for the entry exam. I don't know you but you really seem like you want to fly and I think I'm a pretty good judge of character. You deserve the wings if you can earn'em yourself. There is a good amount of reading comprehension and some basic math, that's all. Good luck."

"You'll see me again," Falco replied, taking the credits. "It's rare someone pays your way to chase down an opportunity of a lifetime. I won't forget this." Lombardi smiled a bit then said, "If you help me learn to fly, I'll teach you how to _shoot_. Sound like a fair trade?"

"As in, how to handle a blaster?" Fox looked rather interested. He knew he couldn't be a mercenary without learning how to wield a gun.

Again, the avian smirked. "As in… _exactamundo_, foxie. I'm a crack shot, too. That's a street term for 'marksman' buddy. I'll rain-check ya for that videogame ass-whooping. See ya around, _Mister McCloud_." Lombardi turned the bike around, gunned the engine and drove across the academy grounds towards the administrative office.

* * *

One year later…

**A knock at Fox's door** caused the young pilot to tense. He approached the door and opened it, casting his gaze across the two men in suits. "Yes?"

"Fox McCloud?" one of them asked.

Fox opened the door wider. "Yes, please come in, gentlemen." He speculated but couldn't be sure if they were some sort of none-uniform inspection crew or if they were academy officials at all. He shut the door once both of them stepped inside then he picked up a glass of soda from a nearby shelf. "You guys want anything to drink?"

"No thank you," said the second one. "We're here on behalf of Sergeant John Pepper, down at the base. I'm Specialist Nelson and my floppy-eared accomplice, here, is Corporal Johnson." The two canines looked awfully generic even as far as soldiers went. "We're notifying you – because you are the next of kin to James McCloud – that your father and his team have disappeared over Venom. Their fighters were destroyed and we're conducting an investigation. Our probe into the black-box recorder transmissions we've received, leading up to the destruction _of_ those fighters, is currently sketchy. The reason for that is because they attacked Venom by surprise via the wormhole. We're trying to ascertain whether he disappeared in the gravity well of the hole, or if he was shot down over Venom airspace. The time-slip teleportation caused grainy gaps in the black-box recordings. We've placed your father _and_ his team on "MIA" status and would like to ask you not to speak to the press. All they currently know is that James McCloud and crew disappeared after entering the wormhole. However, after hearing a change in typical Venom chatter, we have reason to believe they made it as far as the Venomian atmosphere."

"This is…" Fox just stared at them for a moment. After a short pause, he added, "Bull... I can't believe the Government _expelled_ that lousy, stinking ape to Venom. If you people would have hanged him for crimes against humanity, my father would be _fine_ right now. But NO! He creates bombs and biological weapons and he was a stalker who couldn't leave my _mother_ alone. This is… unacceptable."

"Mister McCloud," said the first soldier. "Please try to understand, your father volunteered for this mission. We're not yet sure how all three fighters disappeared at the same time but, as previously stated, our department is working on an investigation into the matter."

"Have Sergeant Pepper call me, later." Fox said, pointing towards the door. "You've said your peace, now please leave." He reached for the knob and pulled on the handle then gestured for them to depart. "Go on; get out of here."

The two men left in haste and Fox shut the door in their face. He then turned around and balled up his fists, cursing under his breath.

* * *

**At that very moment,** on Venom, Peppy faced James in a detention cell. "I'm not kidding, Jim, we'll _both_ go." Peppy sounded stern, looking at the stoic fox with a frown. "We'll abscond Venom _together_, Jim. You staying here will result in your death."

McCloud folded his arms. "I don't want to hear it, Hare. Those are my orders. When I give you the signal, you make a break for it. I'll carry out the diversion and you head back to Corneria. If Venom really _does_ kill me, then they'll go to war with Venom. If we don't then Corneria is a bigger wimp than I thought. And, if I die, your job is to prepare Fox for the day Venom undoubtedly attacks Corneria. Make sure that boy is ready to defend himself. We both know what Venom is planning; it will be your job to take it back to them. When you're running, they'll chase you and that's when I'll escape. And we both know I'm the priority target. Don't worry, Hare, I'll be _right_ behind you. We'll shut this planet down like we shut down that Aparoid."

"We injured it, but we didn't beat it," Peppy reminded. "All right, I've heard enough of your speech, Jim. I'll run when you give me the signal. You'd _better_ be right behind me."

"Well, I _do_ have to lead them into the other direction at first. This is going to be tricky, Peppy. I know you'll make it; I just don't know if we'll _both_ make it." James F. McCloud drew his sunglasses from his snout and folded them into his right palm. He turned away from Peppy Hare and placed the shades onto a wooden bench jutting from the wall. He reached to the red scarf on his neck and pulled it from his shirt then laid the cloth next to his glasses. The pilot pulled a pair of identification tags from around his neck and tugged on the metallic chain. The fastening opened and the chain slipped from his throat, coiling into his paw.

"I want you to give Fox one of my tags," he began, looking back to the laser bars of their cell. "If we both make it, you can give this stuff back to me but… just in case, you know? When he's a little older, give him the scarf and glasses. Remember, pilot: Don't look back, just _trust your instincts_. You can do this, Peppy. I believe in you." His paw met the rabbit's paw, handing over one of the dog tags. The two pilots embraced in silence.

After a moment, the two men relinquished the masculine hug and Peppy closed his paw around the tag. "I don't understand why you don't do this yourself and let _me_ be the decoy. Fox will freak if he loses _both_ of his parents."

James lifted his paws and said, "Stop. I mean it." He reached for the glasses and scarf on the bench then handed them to the rabbit, adding, "Peppy Hare, I'm ordering you to do this. You're married and you have an infant daughter. My wife is already dead and Fox has one more year in the academy. He's old enough to understand. Lucy isn't." He removed the headset communicator from between his ears. The state-of-the-art half-helmet metal comm. unit had '_Fox Sr._' inscribed in it; not his actual name but after the birth of his son, the inscription came as a bit of self amusement and pride.

"Goddamn it, Jim. How can you endure another minute of torture, while I escape? Why do you have to make yourself the martyr; we should escape together!"

James sank to the bench and groaned softly, leaning back against the concrete bulkhead. "Peppy, the truth is… I'm bleeding internally. I _might_ survive, but I'd be in no shape to make it all the way to the hanger. GreatFox is still in storage on Papetoon. Secure some money so you can take it out of storage. Don't worry, Imperial forces won't find it. If you have to, do a little spying on Imperial freighters to make sure they're not carrying it away in pieces. And, if I don't live, make sure you stay alive long enough to see Fox get married. Remember, you're his godfather."

"Jim…" Peppy closed his eyes with a sigh, shaking his head. He could already see that James McCloud had no intention of trying to survive an escape from Venom. "At least try to keep up, will you?"

"What do I always say?" asked McCloud.

"…To trust your instincts," recited Peppy.

James afforded his friend with a wan smile. "Never give up; trust your instincts. If I don't make it, I want you to drill that motto into Fox's skull until he's reciting it in his sleep. I mean it. It'll keep him alive. I know most parents would say they want their kid to stay away from someone like Andross but… if anyone can avenge me, it's my son. He's an amazing pilot. But he can't do it alone; he'll need your help. Wait until the time is right. You'll know when. Until that time happens, keep Fox out of the line of fire. If I don't make it, you're responsible for the existence of the McCloud line. I'm counting on you. Never give up hope, Peppy. Trust your instincts."

Peppy nodded slowly, took a deep breath then said, "I'm ready. What's the plan?"

"The afternoon guard," replied the fox in a stoic tone. "You know, the one that comes to perform the tortures with his little chameleon sidekick in training. When they arrive, I'll tackle them both and make a break down the hallway. You head for the hanger bay and get the hell out of here. If I make it to the flight deck, fine… if not, I'm ordering you to leave without me. Don't even hesitate."

"Understood." Peppy paused, lifting one tall lapin ear. "Someone is coming… get ready, Jim."

* * *

**Chapter** -**1**-

A Mercenary's Son

_**Fox placed his fingertips **against the cool metal of her tiara. He traced it until his claws began sifting through her sapphire strands of hair. Small white beads clinked together and she leaned into his touch. Her azure-furred muzzle brushed against the inside of his wrist and he could feel her warm breath rustling through the fur of his forearm. Her coy look began to evolve into something less demure; a sense of longing seemed to fill her gaze. Indecorous emerald orbs shined with desire. _

_The pilot placed his free paw on her bicep. He trailed his palm over the white marking where she'd been branded. The tribal-like symbols also decorated her thighs and the small of her back. Her lips parted and a melodic voice, soothing in beauty and disorienting with power, flowed from her lips. "Protect me with your _heart and soul_, not your _mind_. Trust in me and in our love… Be gentle with me; do not sully our pledge of ardor." She turned away from him, glancing over her shoulder. He could hear her gasp in surprise and so he peered over her head, to see… _

_The hulking shadow of an ape stood tall behind her, snickering in a throaty voice. "I will strip it all away from you," said the shadowy presence. "Just as Corneria has stripped everything from me, I will take it all from you. Your family, your love, your hobbies and your youth. What she will learn about me will surprise and shock you… One day, she will meet with me on Titania and learn all there is to know. She is _not_ a part of _your_ life; _you_ are merely apart of _hers_." The hulking frame stepped from the shadow, lifting the lifeless head of James McCloud… _

Fox McCloud sat up in bed; his eyes dilated and his heart pounding in his chest. His clinging paws tightened around the bed frame; sweat matted down his fur. It trickled over his athletic build in thick beads. The door to his bedroom opened and Vivian Hare stepped into his room.

She knelt down to a bucket of water in the corner and picked up a sponge. Vivian firmly cupped it between her palms then pressed them together, releasing the water back into the bucket. She approached young McCloud and knelt down besides him. Without a word, she placed the sponge to the side of his face and began to dab at his moist fur. She placed her left paw to his forehead; he could feel the coolness in the metal of her wedding band.

"You're clammy, Fox. Try and relax." Her softly spoken words soothed his soul like a palliative melody. "If only I could produce some sort of panacea for us both…"

Fox afforded her with a weak smile and asked, "Where's Peppy?"

Vivian's eyes lowered with a sympathetic frown. "He is giving private lessons today. Since retiring from the military, he's doing all he can to provide for all of us."

"It's my fault; I'm just one more mouth to feed," Fox said with a flat tone. He leaned away from the sponge, looking away from Vivian in a fit of self pity and guilt. "I'm sorry, truly."

"Stop that, Fox," Vivian replied with her firm, intelligent voice. "Peppy is _grateful_ to have your help, when he is unable to be home. You help with Lucy; you set the table when I'm struggling with my dizzy spells. It's the least we can do."

"It's all Peppy can do, struggling to feed _me_ on top of paying for your therapy. If anything, I'm a ward on this family. _I'm_ the one who is grateful. I'm the one who appreciates everything you're both doing for me. But I can't keep sponging off of you guys. When I get a job, I'll get an apartment with Slippy or Falco. I know you guys argue and I feel like it's my fault." He shook his head with almost listless abandon. "Peppy is trying to honor my father by looking for ways to make this 'mercenary' thing work and it's causing stress between the both of you. Pretty soon, Lucy will be old enough to see it, too."

"Fox," Vivian tilted her head, giving him an awkward expression. "I may not completely agree with Peppy becoming a Mercenary… especially when he had such a promising future with the Cornerian Military. That much _is_ true. I wish to go back to school and I want to put money aside for Lucy's future education… but our disagreements do _not_ involve or concern you living with us. I promise." She took his head in her paws and turned his attention back to her until their gaze locked. "The doctors tell me they've found a way to put the sickness into a state of dormancy. Furthermore, even if he and I decided to separate for a little while, you need to understand two things… Number one, it's not because of you. Number two, _I_ am the one who suggested the separation. I thought if I concentrated on school and Lucy …and he concentrated on learning how to make money as a Mercenary… then in a year or two, we could work things out again. Separation _isn't_ divorce, Fox."

"I feel like this is _my_ fault. I'm almost eighteen and…" Fox felt hopeless. "I just…"

"Fox," Vivian placed her paws on either side of his face again, offering him a motherly smile. "You're a very brave and courageous boy. You need to understand that I'm doing this out of love. That way nothing tears us apart forever. You'll understand when you're older… Think of it this way: what if you had a love interest flying on your team? Could you live with yourself if she followed your orders and died on a mission? And what if you found out that the reason she died is because she was distracted by the thought of an argument you both had, half an hour before the flight? What I'm doing is putting a small amount of distance between us, so that he can give this Mercenary Business the full attention it needs… and so that I can go back to school and attend to Lucy. It's not forever. If you ever have that sort of decision to make, you'll understand. I'm not setting him free, just giving him a window of opportunity."

Fox lifted his paw, running his fingers through his damp headfur. Tears welled up in his eyes but he choked them down like a man, doing his best to burry his emotions. His voice came out in an uncaring tone but his words suggested otherwise. "I don't know what to say… what if you have a relapse?"

Vivian's eyes shined with empathy. She knew he'd lost his mother and father. She worried that subjecting Fox to a struggling family would corrupt his notions of how to properly express himself in a situation concerning love. She could only hope that it wouldn't tarnish his perception of how to love a woman in the future. "Peppy and I have discussed what might happen if I got sick again. But for now, the treatments have been successful. I'll move in with my mother; she doesn't have much longer to live… then, whenever everyone has everything sorted out… Peppy and I will get back together like nothing ever came between us."

Fox slid out of bed, walking to the door. He gazed into the mirror fastened to the backside of his bedroom door. His head dropped, glancing down at the white specks of lint on his navy blue sweatpants. "I still feel like this is related to me and my father. Maybe, after living with dad in the wake of mom's death, I began to realize some things. I guess I just want to see you and Peppy work things out so I know that at least _someone_ had a happy marriage. And if you ever _did_ pass away, I know that Peppy would handle it _exactly_ the same way my father handled it…"

"And how did James handle it, Fox?" Vivian put the sponge back into the bucket and slid her paws into the pockets of her bathrobe.

"He bottled it up, I guess. No one knows for sure because he didn't say much about it," Fox replied. "But I've only seen him weep once, since the funeral… and that was because I woke up in tears one day… I think I was about twelve. We cried together; I'll never forget it. He was always pretty stoic after that. I think he bottled his emotions to show me how to be a strong man… how to stand up and smile and how to do your job and raise your children and be the best you can be, alone. After that day, I never felt the need to cry again; I just looked at him and saw how strong he was being… and I knew I could emulate it. And one day, when the time comes, I'll do whatever is in my power to ensure that my future wife is _not_ placed into lethal danger. Not that dad could have known in order to prevent mom's death but… just the same."

Vivian, a bundle of mixed emotions, simply nodded. "I'm going to get ready; I have a class in two hours. I appreciate you watching Lucy while I get myself together. Her sitter will be here half an hour before I have to leave."

Fox reached for a t-shirt and pulled it on. "It's my pleasure, Mrs. Hare. She's a smart little girl." He opened the bedroom door and looked down with a lopsided grin. The little rabbit toddler, sitting on the floor, doubled over in the hallway. She tried to touch her toes with her head brushing against the floor. Her ears splayed out across the carpet and her powder-puff cotton tail jutted straight up in the air. She stuck one small leg out as if trying to do a headstand.

In this precarious position, Lucy tilted her head at the opening door and smiled, albeit upside-down, at Fox McCloud. "Hi, Mister McCloud!" announced to toddler with a delightful expression.

Fox wanted to be emotionless around kids but they always seemed to break through his steel skin somehow. "Hey there, little Lucy." For the moment, he put his emotions back into a jar. Fox struggled to treat kids like the children that they were but at Lucy's age, he felt it was just what she needed. Fox emulated the way he saw Lucy's parents treat her, minus the parental affection. "Little Lucy," he repeated, grinning at the toddler.

* * *

Twenty-Four hours later…

**Fox felt queasy.** His stomach churned in a painful manner and his eyes dilated. He stood in little Lucy's empty room, filled with a sense of disbelief. Vivian and the baby left; the house felt empty. "This …I can't believe this," he whispered. "Is it me? Am I bad luck for relationships?" He ran his fingers back through the narrow vanilla streak of his hair, gawking at the empty room. "I had no idea it would happen so soon." He grew quiet again.

The sound of a ringing phone broke him from his reverie. Fox blinked twice then walked down the hallway and glanced at the caller identification display. He snatched the phone receiver off of its cradle and said, "Peppy! We have a problem."

"Fox, listen to me," Hare replied over the line. "I need you to come downtown _right now_. Bring your license. Meet me at the Defense Administration Office on Sycamore Street. There's no time to argue, just hurry."

"Peppy, Vivian and Lucy are _gone_!" Fox's words caused the line to grow quiet for a moment.

Peppy took a long, slow breath then said, "I know, Fox. I kissed her goodbye before you even got out of bed this morning. She wanted Lucy to be asleep when this happened, so that things would be easier." He cleared his throat to stifle the emotion in his voice. "Listen, this is very serious; you and I will have a man-to-man about that later, but I need you to come _here_ as quickly as you can.

"The state is going through possessions belonging to your family that he never had a chance to put in his Will. You need to lay claim to GreatFox _now_ and have the title transferred into your name, or we'll lose it. I came to do just that but there's a new law; no one can have ownership of weapons like GreatFox because of terrorists loyal to Andross' cause. However, I found a loophole; you can inherit it but cannot bring the ship to Corneria unless given express permission from the government. The problem is, I can't inherit Jim's ship and he didn't put it in his Will. Cornerian law, unlike most planets in Lylat, claim that you have an RTC clause, also known as _Right To Claim_, within a certain amount of time after his death. But, because it's a weapon-capable ship, the government is trying to expedite a Claim-Against-Inheritor order to possess the ship."

"Dammit," Fox groused. "I'm on my way. I don't have transportation, so I'm going to call Falco; he never sold his bike. I hope you don't mind, old timer."

"Just hurry. I've got to go and stall this." Peppy's communication line disconnected at the source.

Fox took one last look at the toddler's empty room then shook his head to clear his thoughts. He ran out to the kitchen and grabbed his wallet, keys and comm.-phone off of the table then his jacket off the back of a kitchen chair. He locked the door behind himself. Fox sprinted down the street towards the academy dormitories. Simultaneously, he thumbed the contact information for Falco and held the communicator to his ear.

"Hello…?"

"Falco! It's Fox! There's been an emergency; take me down to Government Plaza, they're trying to possess GreatFox and that's our _home_ when we get the Mercenary business up and running! I'm across the street now, get dressed and get your bike!"

"Whoa, hold up!" Lombardi replied, "I can hardly hear you; it sounds like you're in a wind tunnel, man. Something about an emergency and my bike?"

Fox groaned. He lifted his free paw, half-covering the receiver to reduce the wind noise. "Yeah! Get your bike; I'll explain when I get there!"

"All right, well hurry up then!" the avian said in a dry chuckle. He cut the transmission; Fox put the communicator into his pocket and continued to run over to the dormitory grounds. He drew his jacket over his arms, still in motion, then thrust a paw up into the air when he saw Falco coming through the front doors. Lombardi lifted his keys, shaking them in display. "C'mon, Fox, the Bike is over this way. Whatever is going on, it sounds serious."

Fox nodded in reply. "Let's roll, I'll explain on the way!"

* * *

**Pepper tightened his jaw in an attempt not to cringe**. The hefty hound glanced from McCloud to his superior officer then back to the young vulpine pilot. The exchange of stern words between the two brought a deep sensation of discomfort; Pepper folded his arms behind his back, trying to remain out of the discussion.

Meanwhile, Fox knew it would be hard for his father's friend to take sides. Pepper's duty and his superior ranking officer could make or break the Sergeant's career. At the same time, Fox knew that Pepper saw the McCloud family as friends. Fox's eyes flitted back to the Lieutenant General and took a long, slow breath. "Okay, so you're telling me that the GreatFox is now out of _everyone's_ paws, right? If I can find it, I can have it; is that essentially what you're telling me?"

The uniformed leader changed his tone to something a bit more… _empathetic_. "Indeed, young man. You can't come and claim a dreadnaught class starship outfitted with weapons; you're not even eighteen yet. And we cannot claim it _from_ you, because we've just learned that it's _not_ on Corneria. Papetoon's laws are different, son. It's not their jurisdiction to seize it because Imperial Venom has just overthrown the head of the Federal Government. If you go there to steal your ship, you'll be looked at as pirates. They will not tolerate your claim to the ship."

"Dammit," Fox grumbled. He balled his paws into fists and turned away from the group. His eyes connected with the blue-feathered Academy Junior in the back. Falco, leaning against the wall, jerked his head towards the exit with a grin.

"Am I to understand," the large-shouldered feline began, "That you've just graduated from the flight Academy? Are you thinking about a military career, young man?"

"Not on your life," Fox said with a smirk. "As far as I'm concerned, Corneria is just sitting here while Venom is setting up shop throughout Lylat without _any_ resistance."

"We'll need good pilots for the day they try to invade Corneria."

A soft growl emanated from the back of McCloud's throat. "Don't patronize me. Someone should be leading a resistance against Venom. Your political negotiating isn't keeping them from hitting Corneria… Isn't it obvious? Venom and Corneria are on opposite sides of the Lylat System. No, Venom is setting up shop so they can attack Corneria without a break in supplies. Get it through your head; you're a military leader. Why aren't you out there shutting down their aggressive and hostile 'negotiations' General?" Fox lifted his paws to keep the man from replying. "I don't _care_ why, to be honest. I don't want to hear, '_but the prime minister says…'_ because it's a cop out."

"We _did_ launch a counter offensive," the general shouted. "We went straight for the heart of their Empire! You, of all people, should _know_ this!"

"My father dies and you _gave up_, you son of a bitch! Now, instead of thinking that Corneria is serious, they're _laughing_ at this planet!" Fox drew his fist back and swung it with all of his weight. He struck the general across the jaw then pitched forward two steps from the over-swing. The two-star General spiraled back to the wooden desk, sprawled out across it.

"Fox!" Peppy shouted, locking his left arm into McCloud's elbow to keep the pilot from swinging again. From out of the corner of Fox's eye, he saw Falco run towards him. McCloud struggled, slipping out of Peppy's grasp only for a fierce sting to greet his muzzle. Fox toppled to the ground. His wide eyes stared up at Falco in complete disbelief. His gaze flitted over to Sergeant Pepper, who pushed Falco and Peppy back then turned to McCloud and knelt over him.

"Get away from me," McCloud said. He laid his ears flat in unison to the narrowing of his eyes. His lower lip trembled from rage and his body quivered from the adrenaline of his pounding heart. "That ship belongs to me and I'm going to use it to tear Venom a new rear end."

"Fox!" Peppy shouted from over Pepper's shoulder. "You're being unreasonable! Calm down!"

"Cool your jets, McCloud," Falco added.

The two star General slid off of his desk and gripped his uniform jacket. With a firm tug, he pulled it downwards then fixed the lay of his ribbons. The large feline stepped behind his desk and turned towards the group. "Get that boy out of my office. In fact, get off this planet! People who have a problem with Corneria's political decisions don't need to live here. If you aren't off this planet in twenty-four hours, I'll be filing charges for this assault and have you thrown into a military brig."

Peppy circumvented Pepper and snatched the boy by his shoulder. "C'mon, Fox. Get up; let's go. Don't say another word, let's just leave. You are _lucky_ he's not putting you in jail _right now_. Assault and Battery holds _ninety days _for the first offence."

Falco turned to Pepper then to the General and shrugged. "I say the slime-ball deserved it. I only knocked Fox down because he'd keep going if I didn't." Falco cocked his head at his friend and offered something rare: A proud grin. "C'mon, Fox… Grandpa is right, let's roll."

"You're lucky you stopped him," said the General to Falco. "If you hadn't, I'd have had you expelled and you'd never finish your senior year."

Falco glanced over his shoulder with a smirk. "Didn't you hear? I skipped ahead during my sophomore year. I'll be out in three days, instead of nine _months_ like everyone else. I can take my final exam on the computer and print out my certificate. Anyway, you shouldn't have mentioned Andross and James McCloud in succession like that; it was _dumb_. You got whacked because you ran your mouth. If you're going to talk smack, then have something to back it up. Fox was right; you gave up on Venom after StarFox disbanded. You have two pilots missing in action, one presumed dead. That, somehow, makes it too large of a risk to take the fight to Venom, huh?"

Peppy placed his other paw on Falco's shoulder. "Falco…"

"Yeah, yeah," Lombardi said, flipping off the two-star General. "We're going. Fox doesn't need this loser's help, _any_how." He ducked his head beneath McCloud's left arm and hoisted up his friend. "C'mon, let's blow this pop stand." He slid his right arm around Fox's waist and helped the dazed pilot out of the room. Peppy followed.

The general turned to Pepper and narrowed his gaze. "Sergeant, do you realize that kid and his hot-headed friend are in trouble? They're going to get themselves into a world of problems, out in Lylat on their own. As long as they leave _tonight_, I suppose that I won't press charges… I know that kid is the son of your friend and I know this is a difficult and emotional situation for such a young man. Thought, I have to wonder if his mother did a very good job with raising him if he acts like that." The general ran his furry fingertips over the two stars on his shoulder with a frown. He didn't want to invite more investigation concerning his administration and the McClouds; Andross caused enough of that before the expulsion. The feline offered a simple, frustrated sigh.

Pepper turned to his superior officer and frowned. "Sir, his mother died when he was a child. He doesn't even know this yet, but during the military investigation into Doctor Andross' experiments…" Pepper glanced back at the door of the office then turned back to the General. "…We learned that Vixy McCloud's death came from a bomb that…"

"Spit it out, John."

Pepper face faulted. "One of the bomb fragments had the last three digits of its serial number still legible, Sir. We linked it to the inventory list of a missing detonator from one of Andross' test labs. We think that the Doctor was involved in… or possibly masterminded the explosion that killed James' wife."

"Did James McCloud know this before taking the mission?"

"No sir. Peppy claims that Jim McCloud found out 'the whole story' behind his wife's death while on Venom but would _not_ go into details _with_ Peppy, let alone anyone else. The Criminal Investigator and I know what happened but we're the only ones. I wanted to tell Fox but the investigation file is still under 'classified' status."

The General sighed, sinking into his cushy chair. "By the Creator… If he's anything like his father, he'll get his ducks in a row and fly to Venom with daggers in his eyes. Taking on the Venom Fleet alone is suicide; James McCloud has already proven that fact. God help that McCloud boy."

Pepper glanced back at the door to the office with a frown. In a soft voice, beneath his breath, he said, "No… God help _Andross Oikonny_."

* * *

**Author's Note  
****and  
****Foreword (Moved from the header, down to here.)**

_Well? Shall I keep going? Any comments? Let me know! _

_Below, I've taken a moment to dissect this chapter. I talk about Falco's pink shirt, the insertion of Lucy and Peppy's 'temporary separation' and WHY. I also explain Fox's dreams about the girl with blue fur. If you haven't figured out who THAT is… then… you've not played the game! Which is even better, because it's foreshadowing. Anyhow… Read on, if you're curious why I've done things the way I have…_

_A conversation between Fox and Falco in StarFox: Assault happens to mention that the asteroid field is a playground for gangs. I give a hint to that in the scene where Fox and Falco meet. IF you've read the comic, you might remember that Falco was wearing a PINK shirt. I'm sure all the fans of "falcoXfox" really love that one! ANYhow, I gave Falco the attitude of, "So what? It takes a real man to drive a pink caddie; hop up off my threads," without actually writing that as a quote. _

_We also see Falco whack Fox to help him "cool his temper." That's another little tidbit I took from the Comic. I'm also exploring the possibility of mentioning Pepper's addiction to lollypops by giving him a diabetic background. Just trying to add a little sense of realism to the story, that's all. _

_Speaking of realism, StarFox Command gave us a whole new perspective on Peppy Hare. Suddenly, we find out that the old rabbit has a daughter younger than Fox and we find out that his wife died from illness! Oh no! But where were they for the first several games? Where were they in the comic? I tackle that, too. _

_See, I feel that having Vivian and Lucy living with Fox on Papetoon / the GreatFox / etc would have had a profound impact on the conversation between Fox and Lucy in the game… that conversation didn't reflect such a thing, so I decided to have Lucy and Vivian "elsewhere" in Fox and Peppy's historical video-game youth. Out of the picture doesn't mean they simply appeared the way Nintendo pulled it off, in SF:C, though. Shoot, what else is left? A separation. I'm too much of a hopeless romantic to spell out a full-blown divorce, though. _

_But, if Vivian died TOO early in this story, who would raise Lucy? We certainly didn't see PEPPY raising Lucy, so logically we can deduce that Vivian died sometime after the Lylat War. I've just got to sit down and think about "when". _

_Anyone who is familiar with the game series knows who Krystal is. They know that Fox and Krystal will fall in love, have a rocky relationship, break up then try to patch stuff up. Depending on how you play SF: Command, they either work it out, don't work it out, or don't work it out right away, leaving a possibility for something down the road. One ending goes so far as to detail their distant future, with children. The rest are pretty vague and NONE of them really seem to mention that she marries panther or has kids with him. So, the way I see it, they successfully accomplish their mission… a few months pass, then she goes BACK to Panther. Fox gets depressed, Amanda joins the team, then Krystal somehow comes back into Fox's life. Whether they meet on Planet KEW first, or whether Fox races in G-Zero first, who the hell knows. It's tough to mix all the endings to get one definitive answer but… whatever! _

_Yeah, the dreams are about Krystal; he just doesn't know it yet. When he finally meets her, nearly a decade later, he'll have practically forgotten those dreams. _

_Fear not, fans of Fara Phoenix, when she dies, I don't kill her off for good. Her death puts Fox into an eight year depression. Then, he takes a mission on Sauria and meets Krystal… but! I bring Fara back in the distant future, in the story Reflections Of A New Generation. Many of you who are currently following that story already know that her rich parents put her into stasis, unable to let go of their dead daughter. _

_I don't know how far into the future I'll take this story… part of me thinks I should go all the way up until Fox meets Krystal, in my first Reflections story. Part of me just isn't sure. I've been toying with the idea of REFLECTIONS OF ROMANCE, detailing the days when Krystal leaves Panther and returns to Fox. Part of me thinks I should just incorporate that into the second act of THIS story. I mean, if I'm going to detail the life of Fox McCloud, I've gotta pull out all the stops. _

_Also, I've been thinking about making each game's time line a separate act of this story. You know? Act ONE would be before the full blown Lylat War. Act TWO could be after the war, leading up to Sauria. Act THREE would be shortly after Reflections Of Krystal ends, act FOUR would be shortly after Reflections Of The Future ends. Act FIVE would be the romantic return of Krystal to Fox, after SF: Command ends. Act SIX would detail whatever we learn about StarFox for the WII. If I've not finished this story by the time that game comes out, then act EIGHT will be following the game, leading into the marriage of Fox and Krystal. _

_Then again, I might just write sequels for .Fox. Who knows; I have no idea. I DO plan to finish Reflections Of A New Generation. I'm nearly finished chapter 21. I've also posted chapter 4 of Reflections of Peppy, last month. I was VERY happy with that chapter but only a few people read it and I only received one review… so who knows; yaw'll might have hated it! Personally, I liked it. _

I don't mean to keep babbling on, but some people want to know where I'm coming from with this series and where I'm going with the story and other members of its series… let alone my other stuff.

_I'm NOT giving up on Reflections Of A New Generation. I'm just… struggling with writer's block. It's temporary, I assure you. I adore the plot line, it does all the exciting things I want to do with a story… and it won't get easier on Marcus, even when we see his parents again. _

_At ANY rate, I've had an **overwhelming** amount of **requests** from people wanting **to see** a "**reflections of fox mccloud**" story … the problem is, making it interesting. _

_I mean, you PLAY as Fox McCloud in the video game… so you already KNOW his life. You already know all the details and all the exciting parts. SO, for me, I feel that the best thing I can offer to do… is tell the story behind the scenes. _

_Now, how do we go about looking at the "before" life of McCloud when Nintendo handed us two conflicting storylines? It's StarFox, not Zelda. We expect 500 storylines from Zelda but then again… Nintendo **is** notorious for changing their minds about things later. Toadstool, Daisy, Peach… are they **ever** going to settle on a name? I mean, Metroid is pretty linier with no changes, but it's something we've all come to live with when it happens to our favorite cartoon, video game or other entertainment medium involving story plots… whether it's Castlevania, Sonic or one of the many other video game franchises where a creator decides "I'm going to change everything." This is especially true when someone makes a comic different from the game (like StarFox and Sonic! And, to a lesser degree, the Nintendo Power Metroid Comic from the mid '90s.) _

_What are my options here? If I tell the story, starting with Fox McCloud as a child… all I'm doing is perpetuating the whole cycle of confusing his 'true canon beginnings'. My, my! What a dilemma! _

_So, of course, I STILL give in to the requests, but I mix the comic series with the game history to better tie up the loose ends with my imagination. (Hey, I did it in parallel in my other story, SIMILAR PATHS TAKEN. This time, I'm going to combine them to better cover the other version's set of plot holes. You might be surprised how well the two versions of his past compliment one another.) _

_Those of you who already read REFLECTIONS OF A NEW GENERATION know that I did NOT kill Fara Phoenix. In this story, we'll learn more about her and why Fox became depressed and stagnant for 8 long years before meeting Krystal. We'll learn that part of the reason he worries about Krystal's safety and pushes her out of the team (in SF:Command) is because of what happened to Fara, as well as what Vivian said to Fox, during this chapter… We'll even learn what happens to him leading up to pushing Krystal off the team before he goes Solo again… _

_We'll learn why Falco left the team for a while, leading up to the Sauria Mission. _

_So far, my plans involve the story of Fox McCloud, leading up to where I begin with Reflections of Krystal, the first story I wrote of this series. I won't completely detail every inch of the Lylat Wars or every iota of the Dinosaur Planet adventure. But I will include parts and pieces as I replay through those games. _

_For now, let's start with the humble beginnings of Fox, maturing into his adult life. If you want to go back further, you can read REFLECTIONS OF PEPPY, as I posted Chapter 4 last month, dating back 17 years prior to the Aparoid Assault and how Peppy and Beltino became involved and WHY they knew so much about Aparoids, at the beginning of SF: Assault (when the other characters had never even heard of such a creature!). And yes, I plan to portray Fox's life with Fara AND with Krystal… but it'll be a while before we get to the Krystal part, unfortunately for all you Krystal Fans. HOWEVER. I'm going to give Fox and Krystal a very good group of romantic chapters, later in the story when we get to that part… _

_I sure do ramble a lot don't I? Hey, anyone here read my Castlevania or Sly Cooper stories? Woot. _

_Yeah, I tie all my Reflections Stories together… as well as I can. _

_Now, if I can just figure out, and then **explain** what a Hyper Twinkie is, I think we'll be in good shape! But, if you're trying to figure out what a gravity dump is… forget it… I don't even WANT to tackle THAT one. Booyah! _

_If you read this whole author's note, let me know… because you'll be my NEW hero! _

_-Kit_


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: _I amuse myself with the title, here. I WAS going to call it "Papetoon" but, decided on something flashier. An Ark, incase you didn't know, was another name for a ship. In this case, the ark is GreatFox… which is currently 'lost'. And since Fox and the gang were thought of as 'raiders' in the comic, it seemed to be appropriate. Enjoy!

* * *

_

Chapter -2-  
Raiders of the Lost Ark

**The transport ship bucked hard**, touching down on the runway. From the windows, Fox could see miles of flat dusty surface stretching into the horizon. In the bubble-shaped window, he observed the reflection of his friends, lined up besides him.

Only three people joined him out of the four people he'd asked to come. Bill Gray, the only pilot to turn Fox down, signed up for the Military. He remained on Corneria to train and would be shipped to Katina before long.

Adjacent to McCloud, Slippy Toad sat up with a start. He looked around then turned to Fox, glancing out the window. "Well, we're f-finally here. Good heavens, let's go right to the hotel; my skin feels dry already."

Falco, two seats over at the row's end, turned towards Peppy and Slippy with a grin. "Pipe down, froggy. We've not even taxied up to the terminal yet. Relax, pal."

Peppy turned towards Slippy and Fox, peering out the window. He glanced back at Falco and said, "Falco, Slippy… Listen boys, Fox and I felt the need to come here. The two of you didn't have to come with us, so I appreciate the fact that you both gave up your homes on Corneria. I know it's too late to ask if you have any regrets or if either of you want to reconsider. However, I still feel it's never too late to tell you that I appreciate this. I'm sure Fox feels the same way."

"I'm sure he does, Grandpa," Falco replied. "But the Mercenary life promises far more than the military life. What else would I do with a pilot's license? I'm here for more than money, though. Could anyone here honestly see me in a military atmosphere? Please…"

"I know what you mean," Slippy said, nodding his head in emphatic acknowledgement. "I like to build stuff as much as I want to take down hordes of bad guys. The money sounds nice, but I just want the action so I can b-b-brag to my dad that I'm doing something exciting with my life." The green-skinned frog found himself interrupted by sudden vibrations which escalated with haste. It continued into the transporter, shaking the entire ship with violent abandon. "Wh-what's going on here?" Toad exclaimed.

Fox peered through the bubble glass. "I don't know; I don't see anything out this window." The transport ship continued to decrease in speed but the shaking worsened.

Falco shifted his weight in an attempt to get comfortable. Another harsh shutter caused him to stand up despite the seatbelt indicator on each headrest. "I can fly this public transport, straight out of the academy, better than these guys trying to land us. Something isn't right." He stepped into the aisle and shoved a stewardess in passing.

"Falco!" cried Peppy.

"Just hold your horsepower," retorted the avian on his way to the cockpit.

Slippy turned to Fox, with a nervous look in his eyes. In return, McCloud stood up and scooted through the seats, to the aisle. He followed Falco without a word. The vulpine pilot saw Falco standing in the doorway leading to the cockpit and approached with haste. "What's going on?"

"Fox, look…" Falco frowned.

"Look, what? You got out of your seat with the seatbelt indicator on. I mean, I'm not wearing mine either, but you've gotta at least stay in your seat. Just don't go around having feathers for brains, man."

"No, Fox. Shut up and look," Falco snapped on the last word. He lifted his winged hand and pointed a feathery finger into the cockpit. Fox leaned in, peering through the cockpit at two tractor trailers blocking the runway, further ahead. Andross' logo covered the trailers and a row of guards lined the truck tops with weapons.

The Copilot turned to the Pilot and asked, "I don't have enough time to pull up, Ted. How're we going to circumvent these jokers; we don't have enough fuel to recircle the airport, let alone find another place to land."

"Steve, how are the brakes holding up?" inquired the pilot in reply.

"They're running hot," said the copilot. "Full braking thrusters, Ted. I don't think they're leaving us enough of a runway."

Fox placed a paw on the pilot's shoulder. "Cargo bay is in front, right?"

"Yeah," said Captain Ted Shinseki; his operator's license hung from above the control panel. "Who the hell are you?"

"An experienced combat pilot," Fox lied. "If the cargo bay is in the nosecone, we'll survive the impact into the trucks with no casualties. The way I see it, we've got forty-seconds to contact. If you pull up, you'll rip off the landing gear on those trucks. Those guys will open fire, so put full power to the brakes and get back here on the floor. You now have thirty-six seconds to throw the brakes to full power and tell everyone to brace themselves and buckle in. Venom doesn't care and taking off will get us all screwed. Hit them at the lowest speed possible. Thirty seconds."

"All right!" the Captain shouted, reaching for the PA microphone. The copilot reached for the braking controls, putting the stopping power up to full. Several alarms began to screech in protest.

The front of the transporter shifted from starboard to port. A landing gear integrity alarm joined in the chorus of other alarms. Fox and Falco both dropped to the floor and, several seconds later, both pilots and the surrounding stewardesses followed suit.

Falco grabbed Fox's shoulder, leaning up to speak into his friend's ear. "An experienced combat pilot? What the hell is that about?"

"Do you think they would listen to anyone else," reasoned McCloud, adding, "and they were taking forever to make a rational freakin' decision! Logic says getting us killed is bad and throwing the brakes and plowing into those trucks is the lesser of two evils!"

Falco rebutted, "And if those trucks are filled with military ordinance?"

"They either move them out of our way or they all die," Fox said with a groan. "Stop grousing, Lombardi. If they blow, they damage the cargo and forward-mounted polarized armor plates! These things are designed to take an asteroid head on, but if we swerve, we could tear a hole the size of…"

The pilot on the cockpit floor shouted, "Brace for impact!"

Fox reached a paw out to Falco's head, pushing him to the carpeted floor. Fox used his free paw to cover his own head. The nose of the transporter slammed into two tractor trailers. The front end of the ship lifted up then came straight down on the runway, pivoting hard on the belly. The momentum carried the plane in a sliding motion, shifting hard to port. The front landing gear strut snapped and the bow of the plane dropped six meters. A horrible groaning sound occurred, like metal scraping across metal.

Outside, the distant sound of automatic rifles could be heard. Soft thumping noises volleyed across the hull for what seemed like an eternity. Seventeen bone-jarring seconds passed before a new crashing noise joined in the harmony. Another brutal shake caused several passengers to scream. The transporter shifted back to the starboard. The back end of the transporter swung about then, suddenly, the movement and noise stopped. The stern dropped, landing hard on the rear-mounted landing gear devices; the force finished off the rubberized tires, causing the transporter to shutter again, dropping another eight inches at the back.

Fox lifted his head, peering through the spider-web of portside cockpit glass. His jaw dropped in shock. Looking through the shattered windshield, Fox gazed at terrified people, standing in the airport concourse. His breath returned, pushing out his voice. "Falco… Falco, we crashed into the airport. We're inside the terminal!" On the far right-hand side, a magazine rack slid off the front, crashing to the floor out in the building.

"What?" Lombardi cried, getting to his knees and peering over the control dashboard. His eyes widened and his pupils dilated. "Jeeze Laweeze! We took out half the gift shop, too!" He reached into the cockpit and lifted a magazine off the copilot's empty seat. A hole stretched from the center of the windshield to the far starboard side. A pile of magazines and bags of assorted snacks tumbled in. A plaster wall separated the windshield between left and right; Fox continued to gawk through the spider web of the port-side windshield. His startled expression mirrored the startled pedestrians. They glared up at the front end of a transport ship jutting in through the wall.

Fox blinked, turned and grabbed Falco by the shoulders. "Those troops are dazed if any of them survived; we blew right through their barricade but that doesn't mean we've dispatched all of them. They'll have automatic rifles; we should figure out a way to put the survivors down."

Falco nodded then stood up, looking disoriented. "Flotation devices," he said followed by a hiccup. He narrowed his eyes then said, "Dammit. We need weapons."

Fox's eyes widened. "On the rare occasion that you do use your brain, you amaze me." He took Falco by the wrist and hurried back to the two empty seats in their row. "Peppy, Slippy, we're at the terminal. We're fine; anyway get up and get your flotation devices out from under your butts." Fox turned away from his team and raised his voice to the rest of the cabin. "Everyone stay down! There are Venom soldiers out there. They're armed so I need everyone to stay low. It's going to be all right, but I'm going to need for everyone to get out of their seat, kneel down in front of it, and put their head onto the chair cushion. This will protect you from stray rounds, should it come to that."

Peppy and Slippy slid out of their seats and pulled the cushions off. They removed the large orange square foam blocks; Falco retrieved his as well. Slippy took the one from beneath McCloud's window-seat and passed it down to Peppy.

Fox took the four flotation devices to the back of the aircraft and set up three of them in front of the door. He pulled the zip-cord to inflate them then barricaded the door. His ears flickered, hearing the continuation of gunfire glancing off of the hull. Fox ducked into the aft-section bathroom and waited.

* * *

**Outside**, a squadron of injured lizards and a marmoset lined the door with magnesium powder. They set a charge and backed away. Seconds later, the door hinges burst and the metal escape hatch dropped to the runway with a loud clang. They opened fire immediately but their rounds hit an orange blob in the doorway. "Get a ladder over here!" one of them shouted.

Two other members of their squad dashed off only to return with a boarding ladder. The lizards formed a line then hiked the ladder, pushing through the bloated foam barricade. Three lizards waited outside, watching the other four soldiers push their way through the overlapping floats, disappearing into the jet.

The marmoset folded his arms. "I don't like that we can't see what's going on in there. Hold fast, men. Keep your weapons trained on the doorway."

* * *

**McCloud rammed his shoulder** into the bathroom door. It flew open, striking the last lizard in the quartet line. The reptile slammed into the coffee station, rolling away with burns on his skin. Fox, holding the remaining un-inflated float in his left paw, reached for a fresh pot of coffee with his right and pulled it from the heater pad. The pot offered slight resistance; it jerked away from the magnetic heating pad, sloshing over the lip of the container. Fox poured onto the lizard on the floor, scalding him.

McCloud hoisted his foam block up as a shield. The third lizard, now at the end of the line, turned around and forced a bayonet into the thick padding. Fox jerked his body into a pivot, gripping the foam with both of his paws then he lifted it, forcing the gun up, lifting the scaly hands of the attacker. Fox's raised his knee, beneath the pad, catching the number-three lizard in the crotch. It released the rifle and doubled over; the young vulpine lifted the foam to the plastic ceiling then brought down the foam and attached weapon forcefully on top of the lizard's head.

Further up the aisle, Falco reached up from the seating, snatching the first lizard by the knee. Peppy and Slippy, strategically repositioned throughout the cabin, flanked the second lizard, grabbing him by the arms and neck. Within several seconds, all four lizard soldiers lay on the floor, immobilized.

The avian grinned. "Looks like we've subdued the survivors," Falco said to the passengers. "We're here ta' rescue you! But everyone remain low, just incase."

Back down the aisle, Fox continued to scrap with the third lizard. He shoved the foam pad, bogged down with the weight of a rifle half stuck in it. It bowled over the lizard with ease. McCloud released the foam pad, snatched the lizard by his collar and lifted up the soldier. The vulpine pilot buried his left then right paw into the man's gut, followed by a head butt that rendered his opponent unconscious.

The lizard behind him, writhing about on the floor from the coffee burns, came to his feet, staggering in pain.

Fox pivoted on his heel, whirled around, and buried his left paw into the bubbling flesh of the reptile's snout. The number-four lizard stumbled back through the inflated orange flotation devices in the doorway. They caught him like a net and he slumped to the floor in front of them. Fox picked up the unconscious third lizard and dragged the body to the doorway to stabilize the barricade. He collected two of the rifles and brought them down the row to his teammates. "Okay, both of you grab a blaster rifle. Let's take up positions in the utility closets at the back. I want to ambush the rest of those slobs."

"What if that's the last of them?" Slippy asked.

McCloud shook his head. "They wouldn't have sent in all of their guys," Fox replied. "These jokers were the scouts. When remaining solders come in, looking for their guys, we'll ambush them."

"Wrong," Peppy said. "If they don't hear from their men, they'll call for backup. Our only chance is to mount an offensive and fast! We don't want the remaining bad guys to get suspicious. Let's go down into the hold. We'll climb out through the landing gear manifold and attack them. They won't expect anyone to exit through the belly."

The group found their way back up to the front and, with the direction of a stewardess, took a spiral staircase down into the hold. Falco ducked his head down as they descended the small staircase. "Next time we travel public transit, let's use one of this big transporters, like a Phoenix Transport Flagship. This plane is tiny."

Peppy led the group to the back of the cargo hold, pointing to the two large sections on the far left and right. "Okay, Falco and myself… we are the most experienced gunners. Fox, you and Slippy will head back upstairs and start evacuating people through the front, into the concourse. Falco and I will exit through the rear landing gear manifold and pin down the remaining lizard squadron. Fox, come here." Peppy turned to one of the cages along the wall and opened the latch. He walked through an aisle of luggage until finding his bags then rummaged through it.

Fox watched in interest. Peppy withdrew some sort of object and came back from the cage. McCloud's eyes widened, seeing the rounded semi-circular helmet communicator in the rabbit's paws. Peppy handed it to Fox and told the boy, "I'll contact you if we run into any trouble. I know this might be strange for you to wear, but… your father would have wanted you to."

Fox nodded, lifting the communicator in his paws. The comfortable helmet, specially designed to fit a vulpine pilot, seated upon his head with ease. The top portion rested between his ears and the two lower sections cradled his face where his jaw met his neck. He flipped the power switch then nodded to Hare in compliance. "You're the most experienced one here, Peppy. Slippy and I will head back upstairs. Good luck, you guys."

"Hey," Falco chirped with an egotistical grin. "This will be a cakewalk. By the way, I saw how you handled those last two guards in the line of four. That was a sweet ambush, foxie."

"Thanks, Falco. When this is all over, you and I are going to practice shooting. I mean it. I aspire to be the best at everything. I can't be a leader if I can't do these things myself. This is something you need to do, right now; you're a great marksman."

Peppy hooked a thumb at the landing gear sections. "Let's save the debriefing compliments for afterwards. Okay you two, good luck," he said to Slippy and Fox. The two youths nodded and made their way back to the staircase near the crumpled front of the cargo hold.

Falco took the port-side rear landing manifold on the right and Peppy went to the starboard side, across from the first. Peppy checked the power cell of his blaster rifle then said, "Falco, remember, accuracy isn't as important as pinning them down. That way, we can buy Fox and Slippy the time they need to evacuate the passengers. However, if you can score direct hits, do it. We don't want these guys calling for backup before we finish clearing the plane."

Lombardi smirked. "Remember, old timer, we're facing the back of the ship, so Port is on your right and starboard is on your left."

Peppy, not finding humor in Falco's statement, rolled his eyes in reply. He opened the maintenance hatch and climbed down into the gap, seeing the dusty runway beneath him. He held the gun in his right paw and reached to capture his ears with his left. The rabbit tucked his ears down into his shirt collar and lowered his head out through the bottom of the hatch, looking along the belly of the transport ship.

"I'm not old just yet. Getting there, but I'd be willing to bet I can still surprise you." He glanced over at Falco who dropped down to the runway with the rifle bearing towards the aft section. The azure avian came under attack and opened fire in reply. Peppy grimaced and pulled his head from the hatch. He turned about, slid his legs into the gap and dropped to the runway. The rabbit opened fire, kneeling down behind one of the massive, shredded landing wheels for cover. "Get down, Falco!"

"Hold on to your pants!" Lombardi snapped back.

* * *

**Meanwhile**, in the ship's cabin, Fox and Slippy began to evacuate travelers from the back of the ship first. They organized everyone to file into line, heading towards the front, until the entire rear section of the ship became empty. A lizard forced his way in through the blockade at the rear exit hatch, attempting to get out of the line of fire, down on the runway.

Fox's gaze met with the lizard who opened fire without delay. Fox shoved Slippy down behind a row of seats and, up towards the front, evacuees began screaming.

Slippy leaned out into the aisle and opened fire while Fox took to crawling on his belly beneath the seats. McCloud drew his weapon back and used the butt of the gun to strike the lizard's ankle. As soon as the reptile dropped to the ground, he brought the weapon down against the perpetrator's throat. He opened his muzzle to call Slippy for assistance but words never passed his tongue.

Fox tightened his jaw instead, opting to handle this alone. He lifted the rifle from the lizard's neck, said, "My name is Fox McCloud. Tell all your boys the party is over," then brought the butt of the rifle down on the reptile's forehead. Rendered unconscious, the struggling lizard relaxed. His limp head and aloof expression told the story. McCloud pulled the rest of the lizard's body out from beneath the seats.

"Fox! We've got wounded over here," Slippy called from further down the aisle. "H-hurry up; we've got to move this person!"

Fox grabbed the lizard's weapons and clamored back down the aisle to Slippy. A middle-aged man, slightly younger than Peppy, had his arms around a little girl. Unconscious from lack of blood, he'd acted at a personal shield to his daughter but the bullet passed through him.

Fox leaned into the row of seats to look them over. "This is bad; I did okay in my Academy medical exam but I only really remember the basics. Look, separate them and put pressure on his wound. Take his belt off and …no, that's for limbs," Fox said, arguing with himself. "His is right through the lower back and out through the abdomen. Okay, yeah, use the belt and his shirt. Wrap the shirt around his waist then tie the belt around it and make it tight. That will put pressure on both the back and front wound."

Slippy slid his webbed hands beneath the man's arms and, with Fox's help, separated the man from the injured girl. Tears streamed down her face but, all things considered, she remained calm. Toad laid the man in the middle of the aisle and began unbuttoning his shirt and removing his belt.

"C'mon," Fox said to his friend, "Hurry up like you're face to face with a cute…" His eyes cut back to the little girl and he closed his muzzle. He leaned over the backrest of a seat and lifted her up over the row of seats separating them. The sandy-furred pilot slid his right arm beneath her bottom, hoisting her onto his hip the way a parent might carry a toddler.

"She's bleeding but it's not bad," Fox said, adding, "But she'll need to have the bullet removed. It barely broke the skin, luckily." He thumbed the collar of her shirt down, looking at the point of entry, to the right of her collarbone. He sifted his fingers through the black and white fur of the little badger's neckline then nodded. "It didn't hit her lungs; I think it hit part of her shoulder. She's probably in shock and can't feel the pain."

"It hurts," she whispered. "Is daddy…? I mean… is he… dead?" Her demeanor shocked Fox.

"I…" McCloud blinked twice. "He's not dead; why would you think that?" Her question took him off guard.

"Uncle Riley died in a shooting, two months ago." Her voice, stronger than at first, seemed rather haunting for a child. McCloud, always disarmed by children, didn't know how to respond to her.

Slippy's voice brought him back to reality. "We've got to move this guy or he's not going to make it." In the distant background, sporadic gunshots continued. "Let's get him on the concourse," Slippy continued. "He's already soaked through the shirt but I don't think they hit anything major."

"Okay," Fox said. He lowered his head, gazing at the girl and asked, "I want you to sit on my shoulders, okay? We're going to move your father out with the rest of the evacuees. Let's get you up there; then I want you to hold on tight, all right?"

* * *

Half an hour later…

**Andross Oikonny picked up a folder** from his desk. He thumbed through the photographs of Fox McCloud and Peppy Hare in the concourse of Papetoon Interplanetary Airport. In one photograph, McCloud and a frog knelt over an injured male badger and a little girl. Oikonny's eyes lifted to the woman standing opposite of him. "How is your son?"

"Andrew is well," she said, reminding her in-law of the boy's name. "Your brother isn't doing so well, however. The Venom plague, I'm afraid. I'm sure you wouldn't let my husband die, Doctor."

Andross afforded his sister-in-law with a thin smile of empathy. "I hold my family in high regards, Caroline. I couldn't be more pleased with the Oikonny Family. My daughter, on the other hand, is a disconcerting matter. The Bowman line is dead to me. I'm sure Andrew will make a fine heir to the throne. I only hope the young man can handle becoming Emperor one day."

Caroline smiled in reply. She reached for her hair and pulled it together in her left palm, brandished her brush in her right then paused to watch him. The lanky woman gave her brother-in-law time to finish reading the report in the folder. She brushed her short chestnut hair, shoving it into soft waves. When Andross looked back up, she smiled again. "I've only been your intelligence secretary for a few days but I felt this was pertinent information."

Andross shook his head. "I fail to understand why you've brought me a report on the son of James McCloud. I see this other man is… was James' prior wing-mate. I may offer Mister Dengar another reward to hunt down these two. However, I fail to see the importance of this report that you've brought me. You made it sound as though I would be interested in this folder."

"James left a ship on Papetoon," she said. "The young McCloud probably wants to claim it if he can find it. James had been using the ship as a storage space, for lack of room at his small home on base." She paused then cast a dubious glance at Doctor Andross. She tilted her head and said, "Surely there is a shrine of objects belonging to Vixy Reynerd on that ship."

Andross' face lit up to some extent. "You remembered my fondness for…" he trailed off, glancing down once more. His eyes flitted over the vulpine pilot. He took a moment to assess the situation and noted a close-up picture of Fox McCloud taking ID tags off of soldiers. "Who are these two? The frog and the avian?"

Caroline's broad grin seemed to illuminate the room. "The frog is the son of Beltino Toad. As you may remember, Beltino is the scientist who sought to run for city council."

"Ah yes," replied the Emperor. "He's the one responsible for instructing StarFox on how to ambush Venom via the wormhole. Clever. What is he currently up to?"

"He's working on turning that slip-theory into something he's calling a 'Jump Gate', Sire. If he succeeds in creating a lens, he'll be able to open a field and allow our enemies to 'warp' into our airspace with ease. I'm working on a way to sabotage his efforts. We should be able to stall him until after the war."

"Work on a way to kill him," Andross replied. "Start with the son on Papetoon if you must. Or perhaps Beltino's wife… By all means, do what you must. And what of the avian in this photograph?"

"We have no background information before two and a half years ago." Caroline placed the brush on the table and said, "He simply disappears after his birth on Eladard and reappears when he joined the academy. However, he skipped through his sophomore year and combined part of his junior and senior year. He stands to graduate in three days at the end of the first semester. Also, I bring you news of Corneria's latest fighter design."

She reached behind her back and pulled a folder from her belt, tossing it upon the desk. She offered a grin, tilting her head a bit. "There are two; one of which is being deployed to the Katina Air Force. The other is a prototype light-armored, highly maneuverable warplane. It has two capabilities that would go well on our fighters."

"You finally have information on the two top secret capabilities?" Andross asked. He came to his feet, snatching the folder from his desk. He took a moment to read over the new report then said, "Gravity diffusing and… oh? What's this? They're using MPERT?"

"I've not read the entire report." She placed her paws on her hips. "I only read enough to know that it's pertinent information. I'm afraid I don't know what MPERT is, m'lord."

Andross tightened his jaw. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "It was just a theory, before I left Corneria. It stands for 'Magnetic Polarity Energy Reversal Transference' and would give these light-armor fighters an edge that heavily-armed fighters could never have. Hmm… Do you realize the potential for such abilities as these?"

She snapped her fingers, her eyes lit up. "Ah, of course; they're creating the ability to spin a fighter without being crushed by gravity, allowing the fighter to ricochet energy weapons. Are you proud of me?" Caroline nodded in return to his inquiry with a devious grin. "These are detailed plans on how to recreate both the diffusing of gravity and the ability to repel energy from blasters, my liege."

"I'm impressed," said the dictator. He leafed through the pages then nodded in reply. "I'm glad you put these on paper. That means these are the only copies? Nothing electronic that can be traced?"

"Nothing at all," she reported with a salute.

"Very good. I can only hope that Andrew is half as tenacious as you. I would like to implicate these design features on a new fighter I'm working on. I've not named it just yet; I'm leaving that detail to the mercenary team I'm training. It will be flown by a vicious youth named Wolf O'Donnell. I'm paying him to fly and to put up with the ex-StarFox pilot, Pigma Dengar… a veteran pilot; seasoned… he knows the Cornerian Military strategies about as well as I do."

Caroline approached the desk and picked up her brush again. "Andross, I have a favor to ask."

"You're an Oikonny now. Ask."

Her eyes shined with hope. "Place Andrew on that mercenary team with Wolf. Let him learn from these pilots how to do more than simply fly. I want him to become a great pilot and tactician one day. I have high hopes for him. I'm sure he'll learn quickly from the other pilots on that team. If he's flying this new ship that you're designing, I'm sure he'll not be in danger. Give him the chance to learn and prove his competence."

"I'll consider your request, Caroline. I'll let you know when this new fighter is finished. Mister O'Donnell will be testing it for me, when it's ready. I would give it eight months. Have young Andrew to begin training in combat simulators. We'll speak on this again, soon enough."

"Thank you," she said.

"You're quite welcome; take care of your husband. If my brother dies from this plague, you'll be raising Andrew alone."

Caroline frowned. She didn't want to say anything; she didn't want to ruin what she had built for herself since arriving on Venom. Instead of making a scene, she nodded and turned for the door. She stopped in the doorway, glanced over her shoulder and said, "Andrew will be groomed as the one-true future heir of your Empire, my liege. I know you have the Bowman family on your mind… they're failures. However, I am sorry that your children have betrayed you."

"What are my options?" asked the Emperor.

Her eyes shifted to the lower left, pausing for a moment. Then, "I could order an assassination on the Bowman line, except for your young grandson, Dash. He's a small boy; we could bring him here and put him with Andrew, if you prefer."

Andross shook his head and settled back into his chair. "No, Caroline. They're simply dead to me. However, if they were to somehow, mysteriously contract this Venom Plague… you're sure there is no cure?"

"Oddly enough, it doesn't seem to infect any child who has yet to go through puberty. Corneria has never seen the sickness before; perhaps unleashing it upon them will have greater-reaching repercussions in our favor."

"Very good." Andross appeared pleased. He placed the file on his desk and folded his hands over his lap. "Do you have any other information for me before you go?"

"The man who was in charge of your expulsion," she began.

"Yes, Sergeant John Pepper."

Caroline nodded. "He has entered Officer's School. It won't be long before he's given a command position."

"I see. Perhaps we'll pay him a little visit in the near future. But, for now…" Andross glanced back down at the two file folders before him. He offered a sinister smile. "Collect a sample and ensure that the Bowman family becomes infected. My daughter and her husband… You may start with her; since she had the audacity to be a Cornerian Colonel in the flight regiment. Then kill her husband, since he was a key witness who dared to testify against me in the hearing."

"At once, my liege!" She slipped through the door and shut it behind herself.

Andross glanced around his desk for a moment then sighed softly. "I have new fighters with new technology, a bio-weapon program in progress over Aquas and Sol… and now, it is time to add 'chemical warfare' to my list. Those fools will rue the day they embarrassed me. Lylat will be mine."

* * *

The next day…

**Majestic GreatFox rested** in considerable ruin. Several months ago the mighty underground storage hall, which housed the dreadnaught, collapsed from Imperial bombardment. Encased in solid granite, the main body of the ship became entombed. Fox and Peppy stood in the surviving section of the subterranean facility, gazing up at the craning neck and towering bridge section. The twin plasma canons jutted out of the rock, beneath the ship's neck.

A soft sigh passed Fox's lips; his eyes lowered in disappointment. "It's going to take so much money to blast the rock surrounding this ship."

Peppy nodded his head and placed his paw on Fox's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know you wanted to move in right away but it looks like this is going to take a lot of work. However, this could easily be a very positive thing."

"How the heck do you figure?" McCloud folded his arms, glaring up at the craning bridge section, jutting out of the rock, several stories above.

"I'm sure Venom has seen this storage facility." Peppy dropped his paw at his side and added, "This is the only large ship left in the facility. Just think, if surface bombardment hadn't caused the collapse, Venom might have already claimed your ship. Did you know that James took out an eighty year loan on this thing?"

"Do we still owe?" asked Fox.

"No," Peppy replied. He drew in a deep breath then said, "Your father's insurance paid off the ship and the remaining tuition for your time at the academy when he died. I wouldn't recommend living here because we don't know if the rest of the facility will collapse. Tomorrow, I'll contact a real-estate agent and we'll use the little remaining money he left you to purchase a place. I'll find something that will accommodate all of us without breaking the bank."

"I want to see the inside," Fox said. He approached the wall of granite, beneath the duel blaster barrels. He placed his paws against the rock wall and glanced around for a foothold with a frustrated look on his muzzle. "Can you scale this?"

"We'll need safety harnesses," Peppy replied in a flat voice. "What if the hatch on the top is sealed? Are you really unable to be patient?"

"I have to see inside," Fox said. "Wait here. I'll check on the hatch." He hoisted himself up, closing his paw around a section of rock above his head. Fox extended his leg, creeping up the side of the wall. He grunted every so often, scaling the precipice. "This crag is easier than it looks," Fox called down to the ground. Within several minutes, he reached the guns. The massive metal barrels jutted out from the rock wall. He hooked an arm around one of the barrels and arched his back, throwing a leg out around the metal shaft.

"I understand that foxes are natural climbers," Peppy said in a loud voice. "You'd better not fall! James told me to keep you safe; you're not being safe right about now." Up on the side, McCloud paused and looked down at the rabbit on the ground, nearly two stories down. Peppy lifted a paw, running his fingers through his short hair. "Oh heck, keep going, Fox – just climb it!"

McCloud swung his body about until he laid flat atop the starboard plasma gun. He glanced down at Peppy on the floor then smirked. "I can hardly see you down there, in the dim lighting. Now that I'm only halfway up, I'm starting to kick myself for being so impulsive."

"No use complaining," Hare exclaimed. "Can you climb in through the barrels and access the interior that way?"

McCloud stuck his head into the large plasma cannon. He pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and shined it inside. "Negative on that, Peppy! The factory foam seals haven't dissolved. I don't think these guns have ever been fired."

"Well, how do you plan on getting down if the hatches are sealed?" Peppy called up to the vulpine.

"I don't know, maybe you can catch me," Fox replied with a sharp sarcastic tone. "Give me a moment." Fox turned his concentration back on the task at hand. He put the flashlight back into his pocket and continued his ascension. He slid his fingers into various cracks and crevices, working his way up. The rock face recessed, making the climb easier. The less sheer his vertical ascent became, the less he had to struggle.

Fox pulled himself onto the top, lying on his stomach to recuperate. A gap allowed direct line of sight between the jagged rock ceiling and the rubble lying on the back of GreatFox. A massive fin reached up from the stones, further back. He retrieved the flashlight and explored along the back of the rock-covered ship. Everything behind the craning neck leading out to the bridge seemed hopeless. Fox balanced himself on the rounded section of the neck and, with a careful trot, made his way to the top of the bridge.

He placed the light into his muzzle and used both paws to tug on the hatch. It grunted in reply; the sound of metal scraping against metal filled his ears. "It's stuck but it's not locked!" cried McCloud so that Peppy would be able to hear him, down on the floor. He crouched over the hatch, placed both paws on the handle with a firm grip, then tightened his muscles. He put all the power in his back and legs, attempting to stand up. The hatch groaned in soft resistance but after a few moments of straining, it gave way, creaking ajar. "Got it!" He shined the flashlight down into the hatch.

"Good! I was beginning to worry!" Peppy shouted through cupped paws.

Fox sat down on the hull, slid his legs in through the entrance and dropped down into the bridge. Bathed in a shroud of complete dark, Fox couldn't see despite his natural vulpine night vision. He removed the light from his teeth and shined it over the control panel.

A loud hydraulic motor churned to open the hanger doors down on the ground. The rocks shifted around it, collapsing in some sections. Peppy moved away, waiting for a moment. Sections of the rock wall dropped inwards, spilling granite slabs onto the hanger deck of GreatFox. After several moments, the shifting rock came to a rest and Peppy crossed the rubble-covered floor, towards the empty looking hole in the granite wall.

"Good goin', Fox!" Peppy stepped onto the flight deck, searching for the control panel on the side wall. "Now, if I can just find the lights…"

White panels in the ceiling and walls bathed the bay with their incandescence. Several florescent lamps above an empty hanger stall flickered to life and a faded paintjob of the StarFox logo covered the floor. The word 'StarFox," with the last letter of the name painted out into a foxtail, covered the bay from left to right.

McCloud stepped in through a doorway on the end. He nodded to Peppy then approached the fading logo on the floor. "Strange – it's never been used and yet the paint on the floor is in desperate need of a new coat."

Peppy nodded but said, "It could be the oxygen-rich atmosphere down here. It's really bad for metal and such; causes erosion. But there is an underground greenhouse in one of the storage facilities down here… So, there's your oxygen supply."

"Well," mused McCloud. "I like the logo but have something else in mind." His eyes met with Peppy for an instant then returned to the faded floor paintjob. "I was thinking a sprinting fox, all fours, in a sort of gallop. But… we could have just the red silhouette, with massive wings sprouting from its back. I saw it in a dream."

Peppy tilted his head a bit. "I like that idea. It sounds unique… like painting a swift predator of the skies."

The boy cast a slight smile. "It was on a metal pendant around the neck of the blue-furred female fox from my dreams." He turned back to the rest of the bay, using his flashlight to highlight the cobwebs throughout the deck. "How are we going to get rid of those things?"

Peppy rolled his eyes. "The first time we open the bay doors in orbit, they'll all be sucked out. Relax."

"Oh good," said the fox with a dry chuckle. "I was about to feel guilty for making Slippy and Falco get long poles to reach all the high corners of the ceiling. So, how do we get rid of the ones that cover the rest of the ship? How long has this thing been down here anyhow?"

"…We'll do it with poles," Peppy replied, adding, "About six or seven years, I believe. Blame the greenhouse in the other storage facility; insects and spiders from the plants must have caused this. I want you to grab a few things to take to our new place, when we finish looking for one. We'll return to this ship when we have money but not a moment sooner. If Venom starts following us because they're interested in our handiwork at the airport, they'll find this place and strip it for battleship parts. The insurance policy has lapsed, I'm sure, and we'll need every inch of this ship to make it. We'll have to charge the core and polarize the hull plating, then power the shields… and blast the rock off of this ship. We'll have to blow the ceiling and bring it up out of the valley."

Fox placed his paw on Peppy's shoulder, drawing the rabbit's attention, then pointed at something in the far corner. "Look. Speeder bikes. Shoulder-mounted Dragon cannons, Peppy. We'll need them. Let's take everything weapon-wise. Plus, I want to go up to my father's quarters, find some pictures and at least one thing that reminds me of my mother… I won't take anything else. Sound good?"

"No arguments from me, Fox." Peppy afforded him a soft smile. "Go upstairs and I'll ready a pair of bikes so we can tow the other two bikes and whatever else we're taking… weapons, everything."

"Thanks." Fox turned from his father's friend and headed back for the double doors at the far end.

The hallway stretched into an ebony abyss. Cobwebs hung from ventilation grates; their intricate designs bogged down with a miasma of dust. The invading chill gripped McCloud by his joints, causing his fur to bristle and the fur on the nape of his neck to stand on end. Walking this ship alone felt awkward. 'Is this place haunted?' he wondered to himself. His pulse quickened, his pace hastened and his pupils dilated.

His eyes shifted about with nervous abandon. In an attempt to lighten the mood and dispel the awkward heavy feeling in the air, Fox chuckled aloud. His voice reverberated off of the empty hallway, the cobwebs doing little to muffle the haunting echo. His gaze continued to flit about in a wild attempt to separate reality from childhood fantasy. "I'm acting like a damn fool." His scolding tones cackled with echoes, mocking him with their empty-sounding replies.

"God, that's freaky," he whispered. No reply from the empty corridor. The vulpine pilot, like all foxes, possessed uncanny natural night vision. Keeping his flashlight pointed to the floor illuminated the room enough that he could see the wall with ease. He narrowed his gaze, zeroing in on every detail. The chipped paint on the wall read, 'Main Quarters – left. Engineering – right.' Fox lifted his paw, sifted his fingers back through the vanilla tuft between his ears then huffed. "I'm letting my own damn childishness get to me," he explained to the inky nothingness. It lingered just inches from the grasp of his paws, mocking him from beyond his eyesight.

"Okay this is stupid," said Fox. He cleared his throat then, in a loud, enunciated voice, added, "I'm just freaked out because this ship belonged to dad and he's dead now. The dark and the spider webs are a nice touch though, but it's going to take more than my own teenaged imagination to scare me." No reply. No echo. This time, Fox felt more awkward than earlier. "Hello?" he called in a loud voice. No faded, repetitive reply. "What the hell?" Fox furrowed his brows. "Where's my echo?" he asked the gloom, raising his voice to a sharp volume on the last spoken word. No empty reply this time.

"Whatever," McCloud taunted to the void. "I'm sure there is some scientific explanation, like having insulation foam beneath a corrugated section of flooring or ceiling." Nothing offered a reply. He continued on towards the personal quarters, trying to ignore the heavy air and strange vibrations all around his body.

He placed his paws against the double doors and heaved his shoulder; the automatic sliding door creaked ajar, leading to his father's room. The doors remained halfway on their track. He withdrew a flashlight and placed it into his muzzle to see only to blink in surprise. The bedroom resembled a well organized warehouse. Rows of boxes and totes, marked with concise descriptions and accurate listings of their contents, lined the room. Fox padded through each aisle, shoving his left paw up through the short fur upon his head. At the end of the third aisle his flashlight gleamed off of something reflective.

Fox approached the glass case with the utmost caution in his step. The rectangular display reflected in his soft green eyes; his pupils dilated, his jaw parted. Stricken with disbelief and filled with emotion, Fox McCloud felt both elated and shocked.

* * *

**Peppy fastened the remaining tractor-mount** on the two speeder bikes. The emitters incandesced with a soft hue of orange and particles from the dusty air caused the beam of light reaching back to the two extra bikes to become visible. The rabbit, in his upper thirties, pushed his paws into his pockets with a satisfied look. "Well that about does it!" announced the bunny with a firm nod. Peppy turned to a set of doors on the far wall and walked off of the flight deck to find fox. "Boy, I've not had a craving for cigars, a pipe or an ounce of scotch for over a year. But something about this place reminds me how nice it would be to have a small drink and a smoke about now."

Hare approached the doors and opened an access panel on the right-hand side. He placed his velvet-padded palms against the circuit board beneath the panel and traced his fingertips over the textured plastic. His fingers came in contact with something round and metallic; he closed his thumb and forefinger around the circular bit and began to twist it. He screwed the fuse into place and electricity activated the door, causing it to rush open.

Each door, left partially ajar by Fox, had to be activated in the same manner. Peppy made his way through the GreatFox, until every hallway and door had power. Satisfied with himself and his progress, the rabbit made his way up to the bridge with a chipper expression. He approached the public announcement controls and opened a channel to the ship. "Fox, I'm finished on the flight deck. I'm on my way up to Jim's room and will meet you there."

He deactivated the intercom then made his way back towards the aft section of the ship. Peppy, with a lively step, made his way down the hall to the only door left ajar. He opened the outside access panel and screwed the fuse into place then stepped inside and activated the lights. "Fox?"

"Over here," replied McCloud from somewhere within the room. Peppy walked through the rows of crates, impressed with his old buddy; James didn't seem the type to spend so much time on such incredible organization. It seemed as though these crates were filed with the utmost care. Alphabetical, by size and date, they sat on the floor and reached to the ceiling. In the third aisle, Peppy spotted Fox, and approached the tod that sat upon the floor.

"What've you found, Fox?" Peppy asked, only to answer his own inquiry with a sharp gasp. Silence. A moment of it passed before Peppy added, "Well I'll be darned." His eyes flitted over the glass case in front of Fox McCloud. Fox opened the case with care, drawing out an opulent dress, threaded in the finest of scarlet hues. Peppy watched the teenager withdraw the gown in complete reverence. He watched the boy draw it into his arms, pressing his moist carbon-colored nose into the front, inhaling deeply.

Peppy placed a paw on the boy's shoulder. "That was your mother's High School prom dress. She chose that color because it matched the royal garnet vest of your father's tuxedo. You know the red scarf you like to wear when we fly? That fox has always been fond of red. That scarf belonged to him; your mother hand-picked the material and made it for him. I don't understand the entire concept of the story, but it has something to do with an old god or goddess your race prayed to. I know the modern-day laws of Corneria have made Religion something so broad and general that it's nearly lost with the melting pot of cultures but to Jim and Vixy's grandparents, those gods still meant something."

Fox's eyes lifted, peering from over the bunched material. He drew in another deep breath, remembering his mother's scent from the faint vestiges of it, locked away in the strands of the fabric. He then spoke, muffled, through the gown against his muzzle. "The god Inari. I don't know much more than the name, the explanation behind the red cloth and that he stood for many things… worldly success, industry, agriculture, and loved rice and wheat. No one worships deities anymore, but the courageous man or woman in a red scarf would save the world in the belief… they were known as the Kitsune-bi – a fox of fire. I'm sure, if I really wanted to know about old lore, I could look it up but… why? None of it is true. It's just a neat legend, concerning modern fashion," Fox said, lifting his paw to tug at the red scarf at his neck. "Our race used to clash with the natural canine population of Corneria, generations ago. Now my best friend from the Academy is a canine, and my father got along very well with General Pepper. It was all just superstition and silliness."

"Well, it sounds like you know a little bit about your race," Peppy concluded, still gazing at the prom dress. "It's a beautiful gown, Fox."

McCloud drew in another deep breath and explained, "It still smells like her, faintly. I can easily close my eyes and see the house. My mother just made a casserole, but it's cooling in the kitchen and we're in the family room together. I can't smell it because she has windows open in the house, but I'm seated across from her and the wind is bringing her scent passed my nose. I hear the door opening and dad steps into the house, taking off his aviator jacket. I turn my head and see her embrace him. She reaches a paw up and takes his sunglasses into her left palm, cups his face in her right and kisses him. He leans in and presses his nose into her neck then inhales deeply. She places her muzzle on top of his and whispers something into his ear. He lifts his nose, kisses her forehead and comes to pick me up. Nothing special, just an ordinary day when he was flying patrols and charting courses through the asteroid belts. He flew during the afternoon and was always home in time for dinner, back in those days." Fox blinked with the sudden realization that he'd narrated his reverie. "Sorry."

"No," Peppy replied, patting the boy on his shoulder. "Don't apologize. I remember times I'd visited the house when you were young. Your mother would have sandwiches ready for us with a pitcher of tea or soda. She really loved being a mom and a wife; it was her biggest kick. You'd be surprised though, she could hold her own when talking politics or current events. We'd come over in the middle of the day or right after a shift." Hare lifted a paw, sifting it through his hair, brushing an ear off to the side with casual grace. He continued, "Sometimes I had Vivian with me, other times I'd stop by with Jim during our lunch break. You're describing the way Vixy and Jim almost always greeted one another. They were one of those cliché happy couples that you only read about in romantic comedies or general romance stories. I'm surprised they didn't have a veritable army of children. It was nice to be reminded of my best friend with a smile on his maw. You really should bring that dress with you."

"Where?" Fox asked, lifting his head from the fabric.

"I plan on finding us a place tomorrow," said Peppy. "I'll get us an inexpensive motel for a few days; Falco can take his exam online and I'll start viewing places with a real estate agency. Just bring it with you. I'll get some restraints in the flight bay and we'll wrap the glass case in blankets from the supply crates. C'mon. We have more time for a trip down memory lane when everything is in place. For now, let's carry the dress and the case down to the flight deck. Everything is ready down there."

* * *

A/N: _I'm showing brief important parts of Fox's youth. However, I do plan to have flashback sections and maybe even a flashback chapter, concerning his childhood. I have him mention a brief part here… That's not quite the same thing. _

_For those of you who know a little about Inari, you also know that Inari was often portrayed with jewels. When I first introduce Krystal, later in the story, some of her gem-adorned jewelry will have religious cultural background significance. Her culture and generation-old beliefs will bare slight semblance to the ones that Fox's Lylat race will have believed in. They'll draw parallels between the fox cultures of old, between their races. The red scarf, the jewelry… I won't focus on it very much, just draw a few parallels, and add a little more to show how Marcus's fate is in the stars for some reason or another. Really I think I mentioned in his story that it's his children and grandchildren who become detrimental to saving Lylat and possibly the greater known universe. Feh, I forget. But, regardless, he's important in some way, shape or form… heh. _

_In the next chapter, I'll go more into their life on Papetoon. However, by the END of the next chapter, I plan to get things rolling and get them off Papetoon and into the GreatFox carrier. That way, by chapter four, we'll be rolling into the war scenes. I appreciate having TWELVE people review the first chapter of this story, so far. It really means a lot to me! _

_I'll have new chapters to Reflections Of A New Generation, Similar Paths Taken, The Curse, Nothing Passed Tomorrow and other stories all in due time. I'm just busy in my real life, you know? Anyway, thanks for reading, thus far!_

-kit


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: _One of my reviewers noticed similarities between this story and other reflections' stories. I'm glad they did! That's a very important thing! _

_It's like I told him: I drew it up that way on purpose, because I wanted to denote that Marcus had a similar feeling of youth to his father. You know that saying "following in the footsteps of his father" right? Yeah. I have to go back and re-read NEW GENERATION, so I can get a feel for it... I don't want to write something IDENTICAL, though. Also, the scene with the guy who took a bullet for his daughter... I wrote that after re-reading chapter two of Reflections of the Future... _

_Because that saying, "Time flows like a river; history repeats itself but grows in power from the current." Remember hearing that somewhere? Well, I'll spell it out for ya, then we can get back to the story!_

_In Fox's distant past, it's people dying on Papetoon. In Fox's recent past, it's people dying from attacks in the war against Venom. In Fox's present, it's people suffering and dying from the Aparoid attacks. In Fox's future, it's people suffering and dying from the Anglar attacks. In Fox's son's future, it's a nuclear attack that vaporizes tens of thousands in a blink, leaving more to die from radiation. _

_Tragedy keeps reoccurring but with each wave it's worse than before. It's one of the first ways I'm going about making these stories tie together, so I'm VERY glad that readers have noticed! _

_

* * *

_

**Chapter** -**3**-

The New Home

**A metallic barrel gleamed in the afternoon light**; Fox McCloud's ear flickered, feeling the gun pressed firmly against the side of his head. His eyes narrowed and his arms folded, remaining composed. His stoic demeanor seemed to disconcert the Lizard holding the weapon. Fox could smell the reptile's blood; he knew the perpetrator felt nervous.

"What's the matter?" McCloud asked in a quiet tone. "You're the one holding the gun yet you seem a little jumpy. You're not going to jump the gun and shoot your hostage are you? You lose your insurance coverage if you shoot me. No body shield means you have no chance for to survive. Just calm down and take a deep breath or you're going to get yourself killed."

The lizard hissed in annoyance then announced, "Shouldn't you be worried about your own hide!" It reached its scaly hand forward and brushed a fountain soda out of McCloud's paw then the reptile's gaze flitted about the street corner in an apprehensive manner. The lizard returns its gaze to Fox.

"See if you can wrap your mind around this," Fox said with an eerie calm. "My mother died when I was a little boy. My father died over Venom in combat. I was chased off of Corneria a few days ago. I don't have anything to live for. You, on the other paw, have a van full of money to count and claim. I'm keeping you alive right now so if your fingers get itchy, you've only screwed yourself."

The lizard looked upset. "Just…" A momentary pause then, "Shut your mouth, vulpine!"

"Oh, please, call me Fox McCloud." The pilot smiled, motioning to a nearby chair. The outside café on the corner now looked abandoned. Hats, cell phones and other accoutrements littered the tables, forgotten in the panic of the attack. His eyes lifted, watching the freighter van on the corner. After a moment, he cleared his throat. "You want me to sit down, bud?"

"Why should I let you sit, Fox _McClown_? You obviously _want_ to sit down for some reason or another!"

"Wow, so clever. You know, you've been holding that blaster for ten minutes, against the side of my head." Fox shrugged his shoulders, gestured at the table again, smiling. "IF I sat down, you wouldn't have to hold that three pound blaster almost six feet high for so long. Plus, if I'm not on my feet, it's harder for me to escape, tackle you, or just plain run away. Is this your first time terrorizing a public place?"

"We're not terrorists!" The lizard snapped. He squinted in the sunlight then reached for a chair, pulling it out. "This town has _not_ paid its taxes to the new government! This is punishment, now sit down and shut your muzzle before I shut it for you!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sitting," Fox replied. He sank into the chair then curled his fingers around the section where the backrest met the seat, just beneath his rump. His eyes flitted to the digital clock on the kiosk in front of the bank. For now, the pilot grew silent, contemplating just how this entire mess began.

* * *

An hour ago…

**The fossilized oak tree towered over the dusty Papetoon surface**. Beneath its roots, a cramped network of old mining tunnels sprouted off in different directions. Due to age and decades of seismic activity, the system of artificial caves had collapsed. The only section remaining stable rested beneath the tree, supported by the fossilized roots.

Originally the foreman's office, several empty rooms had functioning doors. An industrial rolling door sat in silence. It rusted in disuse at the back of the cavernous, subterranean dwelling. Beyond the door, the ground rose up on either side in a contrived canyon. The manufactured section of rock led into a ravine, further out in the dusty planes. The chasm varied in depth, leading back to town in one direction and out to the trader's routes and shipping lanes at the other.

Fox turned to Slippy Toad, placing a paw on his friend's shoulder. "Are you sure your father won't be upset that you're living with us?"

"He doesn't exactly understand," replied the frog. The amphibian drew a cloth smock tight to his skin with a frown. "But this dusty wind is hell on my skin. Are you sure living out here is the best idea? What's wrong with staying in town?"

Fox smiled, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Peppy and I think this is the best bang for our buck." He stopped at the edge of the man-made chasm, looking down into the shallow section of the perpendicular gully with a grin. "Just think, Slippy… At the end of our little 'driveway', we pull out into the canyon. One direction takes us directly into the center of town. Of course, it becomes a stream before you get all the way _into_ town, but still. And if you go the other direction, it leads out to the highway, where all the supply merchants and trader freighters travel. It provides natural camouflage for training purposes and, aside from the occasional teenagers racing their hover-bikes, we won't see anyone. No neighbors, Slippy."

Toad glanced back at the lone tree, behind them. "And what about water and power, Fox?"

"We'll drill a well and set up solar panels." Fox placed his arm around his school-hood chum. He guided Slippy back towards the old Oak and said, "We're spending almost nothing for this place. We'll only need it until we find the money and time to repair and free the GreatFox and I don't want to spend any of our money on rent. Venom set up shop here and I want to terrorize them as much as possible, until we figure out how to salvage our ship."

"How deep should we bore?"

"Until we hit water," Fox replied. "Look at this gulch, my friend. Water caused this thousands of years ago. According to the library, there are underground caves _full_ of water. I won't lie to you; it's going to be rough for a while Slippy. We'll have days where the water pressure will be low in our well. Split between four guys, you may not get a bath _every_ day."

"This only lasts until we rescue GreatFox, right?" Slippy frowned, his cloth wrap rustling in the wind, his hands on his hips. "If we can put solar panels up in the branches, I might be able to build a pump and water storage for hot _and_ cold water."

Fox's face lit up. "You're the man, Slip. You're the inventor; the genius."

"Aw g-geeze." Toad blushed. "I'm only here because Croakella broke up with me. Seriously, Fox. What else am I going to do? I'm supposed to become a rich mercenary with the son of James McCloud; that's what my father heard all though my academy years."

Fox gave a tug on the rusty rolling door but it didn't move. "Yeah, Beltino always took care of dad; getting him the newest ships and weapons to test. It seems like a different lifetime. Like a _past life_ of some sort."

"Not to me," Slippy said with a slight grin. "We're teenagers, same as we were like those days. Teenagers. Just a few years older; nothing has changed except our situation, Fox. Believe it or not, my father was far more understanding than my mother."

"How _is_ Mrs. Toad?"

"F-fine, Fox. I'll tell her you said hello, next time I write. Th-this sand dries out my tongue. Let's go inside."

"All right," Fox replied, adding, "Peppy is picking up Falco from the library. He took his final exam on the computer, today. I'm sure he did fine, but I'm still kinda worried. Falco always did better on flying exams than he did on the written ones."

"I aced the written exam," Slippy recalled with a grin. "Of course, I did really good on all the flying exams except for the ICS flight."

Fox offered a flat gaze. "Slippy, the Intense Combat Simulation test _was_ hard. Falco and I aced it because we're natural combat pilots. Even Bill aced it. But that doesn't mean _everyone_ nailed it _except_ you. Even as a teenager, you're just as good as any military pilot. Now, don't take this the wrong way, but I wouldn't put a fleet of you against the Venom fleet. But you're still a good pilot. You keep tight formation and you do your job. You can handle the rings and you don't waste time communicating to the team that something important is about to happen. What more could a wing commander ask for?"

"Fox…" Slippy wrapped his webbed fingers around the rusty railing that lined an old corrugated staircase. It led up from the artificial canyon-like section to the main flatland. "I thought the _whole point_ of Team StarFox was to find _elite_ pilots?"

"I wouldn't call Pigma Dengar 'Elite'," Fox said with a chuckle. "I mean, he was a good pilot; almost as good as Peppy. But he wasn't a combat ace."

"Better than me," Slippy retorted.

"Pigma couldn't do all the things you can do." Fox followed his friend up the steps then opened the old door on the side of the massive tree trunk. It led to a set of stairs, down into the tunnel beneath the ground. "You're a mechanic, Slippy. You're the only man I've ever met who can solve a Rubik's Cube puzzle while _simultaneously_ detailing how to rebuild an afterburner system."

Slippy returned a dubious look. "Fox, there are _four_ moving parts in an afterburner, if you're discounting the nozzles that spray the fuel. It's hardly complicated." He took to the indoor staircase. It spiraled down into the dark. The amphibian's natural night vision allowed him to see with relative ease. "But I appreciate the compliments. The thing is, I want you to need me on this team for reasons other than what I can do _outside_ of a c-cockpit. But, before you come up with some fake reason, I'll give you a real one."

"Yeah?"

Slippy grinned again. "I'm developing an onboard computer that will revolutionize the way our team flies."

Fox looked intrigued. "What's it do? How close are you to making it?"

"Fox, let's just say this… You'll always know how close you are to defeating your enemies. It may not sound like much, but when you're in combat against a large ship, I'll be able to f-f-figure out how much damage they're taking, or what their shield levels are at. It'll give us an edge and help us figure out weaknesses so we can see what does the most damage and where our shots affect them the most."

"You can seriously do that?" Fox blinked, following Slippy down to the granite cellar. "Will it be expensive to make?"

"I'll figure all that stuff out later." Slippy pulled off the cloak, distributing it on the floor. "But I'll be able to monitor the bad guys while you and Falco do all the major fighting. It'll help… at least when it comes to large ships and battle cruisers. That will make me a necessary part of the team, when in the cockpit."

The beaming vulpine removed his own cloth cape and clasped Slippy on the left shoulder. "I think the four of us are going to make one hell of a mercenary squadron."

The frog nodded in reply and smiled at the compliment. Slippy felt included in something special and it elevated his mood. "I j-just hope we can move GreatFox. I'll get started on searching the area for information when we've finished moving in."

"Look, I'm sorry about Croakella," Fox said. "But I think it was fate. If she kept you on Corneria, we wouldn't have someone who can fix gear and build water pumps. And you're doing your best to prove your worth all the time. What does Falco do? He just drinks, parties and tries to look cool. Granted he's a good combat pilot, the new team is going to require all four of us if we're going to be taken seriously. So, what do you think we should call the squadron?"

Slippy turned to his furry friend and gawked. "As if it's not obvious, Fox. Why not use your father's squadron name?"

"It sounds too much like StarWolf," McCloud said with a sigh.

"StarFox has been around _way_ longer than StarWolf. If anything, they stole _their_ name from your dad's team."

Fox tilted his head a little, placing his paw to the milky-white fur beneath his chin. He paused a moment then said, "I'll give it some thought. Maybe you're right, though. Who cares about Wolf O'Donnell, anyway? I'll let you know what I decide, though."

"That's the spirit, f-Fox!" Slippy grinned in his silly way then crossed the foyer. He stopped in front of a green door and folded his arms. "Have you notice that one door is a faded orange, one is a faded blue and the other is a faded green? Isn't that kind of… neat?" He opened the green door and said, "I claim this room."

Fox opened the blue door and peeked inside. "It seems this is the tallest office down here. I think Falco should take this room since he's the tallest pilot. We'll get a red curtain and a rail for the fourth room; Peppy can use it for privacy into the den." The communicator on Fox's hip vibrated, drawing his attention. He snatched it off of his belt and flipped the lid open. "Speaking of Peppy, that's his identification code."

Fox placed the communicator to his ear. "Yeah?" After a short pause, Fox said, "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. All right, we're on our way." He closed the phone and frowned at Slippy. The frog's expectant gaze caused Fox to sigh before explaining, "Trouble. Good news is, Falco passed. Bad news is, Imperial Venom guards are harassing townsfolk. Let's go."

* * *

**Two rusty speeder bikes** passed over the dirt path and into a crumbling concrete road. Wiry weeds reached up through the cracks but as the two grew closer to town, the road's condition seemed to improve. The two riders, covered in gray fabric cloaks and eye goggles, headed through the residential zone and into the commercial district. At twice the speed limit, they made easy time to town square. The two bikes pulled up behind a large freighter van, hovering just inches off the street. Imperial Venom's logo graced the side of the van.

The riders dismounted their speeder bikes. The first one removed his cloth hood and goggles to reveal the orange and white fur of his face. His eyes shifted to the second rider, patted the man on the shoulder and pointed across the street. Following the gestures, the second rider ambled across the pavement and disappeared into an alley.

Young Fox McCloud took the cloth wrap of his makeshift hood and folded it in half. He took each end and held the loop at his hip, on approach to the passenger side of the van. His eyes flitted to the rearview mirror, watching the occupants bicker with one another. McCloud stuffed one end of the fabric into his muzzle and clamped down.

The passenger door opened and Fox pounced… He wrapped the loop of the cloth around the lizard's neck, tightened it and used his free paw to reach for the gun on the man's hip. The teenage pilot placed the barrel against the man's lower back and flipped off the safety.

"Are you two about to start trouble?" Fox asked in a whisper, muffled over the fabric. He canted his head bringing the fabric back to the other end, taking both into his left fist. He guided the lizard away from the door, inching him back along the curb. "I just moved to Papetoon, buddy. The town of Eladard is _my_ turf now. Why don't you get into your truck and drive away?"

"B'jark! Kio-wann!" shouted the lizard. Fox groaned in frustration at the stark realization of dealing with complete morons. He drew his fist back then raised it. With a quick thrust of his paw, he struck the lizard on the back of the head with the gun. However, the attack did _not_ render the reptile unconscious.

"Boy, you're hard headed," Fox muttered. Seconds later, the fur on Fox's tail stood up, causing his thick brush to puff up. The barrel of a rifle pressed against Fox's nape and the tinny noise of a safety being released filled his ears.

The second lizard smiled but Fox couldn't see it. "Don't you know that the _One Man Hero_ routine is cliché and unrealistic, Papetoonian?"

Fox tightened his grip on the cloth around the first lizard's neck, using his fingers to draw more of the cloth into his palm. Fox didn't want to telegraph his next move and so he offered a defeatist sigh as a distraction. His right paw opened and the pistol clattered to the ground. In one smooth motion, he brought his elbow back, catching the barrel of the rifle. The second lizard's gun fired into the sky; Fox kicked out the first lizard's knee then pivoted hard and buried his fist in the face of the second lizard, standing behind him.

The entire enactment lasted a few mere seconds with Fox standing over two fallen lizards at the end. He stomped his left foot down on the rifle, using his right foot to kick the gunman's wrist. A score of footfalls filled the area and Fox lifted his eyes. Seven reptile guards swarmed the corner, in front of an abandoned café, each holding rifles trained on the pilot. His eyes danced from left to right, counting each one.

Fox lifted his left paw into the air, reached for his communicator on his belt and closed his right paw around it. He lifted it from the hip holster, mashing down the 'send' button at the same time. "Nine total," he said just above a whisper. Then he put the communicator on the ground in one smooth motion. His right paw joined his left, above his head. "Okay, guys!" he said with a smile. "You got me, you win! Take me to your leader or whatever!"

* * *

**Peppy Hare watched through the window of a convenience store. **Falco Lombardi stood adjacent to the middle-aged man and Slippy Toad came in through the back door. Peppy glanced behind himself then said, "Did it work? I can't see what's going on with that freight van in the way."

"He said there are _nine_ of them. That's counting the t-two he injured." Slippy recessed his speech for a moment, trying not to stammer. "He, I mean, they're out there with him; he's going to be taken hostage."

"Good," Peppy replied. "Better to have an academy-trained hostage who is in on our plan than for those idiots to grab the first pedestrian they come across." The rabbit placed his paw on Falco's shoulder and gave a shove. "Go to the roof. There's a gun workshop on the second floor. Tell them it's an emergency and get something with a scope. Set up a tripod in the window and get a sighting on whoever has Fox at gunpoint. Slippy," Peppy continued, turning to the frog. "Do you still have the purple necklace with water in the pods?" The rabbit's eyes scanned the lumpy collar of Slippy's neckline.

Slippy reached beneath his shirt collar, removed his favorite necklace and held it up. Each purple pod, the size of a fist, held several ounces of water. He opened his mouth but it took a moment for the words to pass his lips. "R-r-right here, Peppy! They're all full!"

"Take a piece of dry-ice from aisle five," Peppy said. "I want you to make your way out there, climb under that van and put the dry ice beneath the front end. I'm going to go to the back of the store and get a cleaning agent; I want you to mix it with the water and pour it onto the dry ice, then fall back. It will create a lot of smoke, leaving them to believe that they're having engine trouble. By the time the smoke thins out, I'll be inside the truck. I'll punch the accelerator and Falco will have a clear shot. He'll dispatch Fox's guard and I'll drive the truck on a collision course for the remaining lizards. Slippy, I want you to grab the first gun you can. Fox will have secured a weapon by then; it'll be up to you both… open fire. I'll hop out of the truck and join you, if I can find any extra guns in it."

"All right, action!" Falco said. He headed to the back of the store and took to the concrete steps in the alley.

* * *

The present...

**Fox watched the thick plume of white smoke **enshroud the front end of the freight van. "Hey, are you guys having engine trouble?" He glanced over his shoulder at the lizard whose eyes widened. The reptile reached for his communicator to alert the other men. As soon as he began to speak, the freight van lurched forward, careening into several tables and chairs, not far from where Fox sat.

Fox felt something hiss between his ears followed by silence on behalf of the guard. He turned his head, watching the lizard crumple to the ground. A trickle of blood ran down the side of lizard's face; a strange noise emanated from a pair of scaly lips then the lizard rolled onto its back. A brazen red pool collected on the concrete, beneath the man's neck.

"Damn, nice shot," Fox said to himself. He knelt down, picked up the guard's blaster then removed a second gun from the guard's hip holster. He stood back up and turned to the left, seeing Slippy stand behind the next closest vehicle. He threw the weapon over to Toad, who caught it and checked the magazine.

A group of lizards filed out from the bank, next to the café. The truck sat motionless on the sidewalk, between the soldiers and the two teenagers. Fox and Slippy opened fire on them while Fox began his fallback, step for step. Crouched down, McCloud continued to fire the weapon while creeping backwards towards the alleyway. He couldn't run just yet; he had to remain a target for a moment longer.

The group of lizards broke into a sprint. They opened fire, splitting apart to run _around_ the van, which sat on the sidewalk. Fox turned about, scrambling for the alley. When the last lizard came about the van in passing, Peppy kicked open the passenger side door and opened fire with a machinegun. The auxiliary heavy-fire weapon bucked in his experienced paws with a sharp roar. It chewed through the backs of the lizards, mowing them down from behind.

The troupe of eight Imperial troopers, caught in the crossfire, collapsed to the ground. Fox stopped in the mouth of the alley and peered over his shoulder. All nine soldiers lay dead. He turned about and aimed his blaster at the motionless group. His eyes flitted over each body, riddled with red splotches shimmering on their backs. He holstered the weapon in his belt and lifted his paw. "Cease fire; nobody shoot!"

Behind the nearby hover-car, Slippy lifted his blaster to the air and stepped out of hiding. "I think I got one of them! Are you all right, Fox?"

Peppy climbed the rest of the way out of the van, grinning. "Their freight van is chock full of cash and food supplies. Let's take what we need for our new home and give the rest to the townsfolk." He glanced back at the bodies and frowned thoughtfully. Two seventeen year old boys shouldn't have seen it. "Casualties of war; listen if you two boys need to talk about this later we'll discuss it then, all right?"

Fox offered a nod to Peppy then turned back to Slippy with a slight frown. "I'm good; a little rattled," replied the vulpine. "Falco's shot came too close for comfort. I sat down at that table to give him a wide birth, but I swear that bullet passed through my hair, between my ears." McCloud reached his paw to the two triangular ears perched atop of his head then sifted his fingers through his short headfur. "Okay, no skim marks. Still, I bet if the academy allowed longer hair, I'd have just received a buzz-cut."

"Good thing you were sitting then," Peppy replied, stepping over the enemy soldiers. "I hope you guys realize that Papetoon probably won't condone what we've just done. Remember, this isn't murder; there was a hostage situation and they're trained soldiers. They were armed and we defended ourselves. Again, if either of you want to talk about this later, we'll do so back at the Oak Tree."

Falco crossed the street, shouting, "Boy, you guys should have seen that from my vantage point. What a thrill!"

The frog approached the group, activating the safety on his weapon. "What should we do with the bodies?" asked Slippy. "Put them into the freighter van when it's empty?"

"That sounds reasonable," Falco agreed. "Good job, Frog-face. I saw you take down one of the guys bearing on Fox right before Peppy opened fire. I'm impressed. If you can keep up the momentum, you'll become quite a mercenary."

Peppy nudged a few of the lizards with his toe. "Your call Fox."

"Yeah, guys, let's put the bodies in the truck when it's empty. I don't want to make a habit of littering the streets with Venom soldiers. It will attract attention. Remember, only what we need out of the truck; the rest of this stuff goes to the town."

Falco approached Slippy and Fox. "Shouldn't _all_ this stuff belong to us?"

"No," Fox grumbled. "I'm not going to argue with you about this. We keep only what we need to survive; nothing more. A week's worth of food and enough money to set up solar panels on the tree branches. I want to secure any military-grade gear. Slippy, I've got a mission for you." Fox turned to the frog and hooked a thumb over at the truck. "When we're done with that thing, I want you to drive the truck over to the church next to Town Hall. Drop off everything; they'll worry about distribution. Then, take the truck back to the canyon and set it on fire. Don't take the troops out. Sit tight; we'll get started on readying the truck for your delivery. While Falco takes what we'll need from the van, I'll collect the ID tags from the bodies. We'll send them to Venom; I don't know if these guys have family or not but I'll send their tags, so… yeah." The young pilot frowned in a thoughtful manner.

Fox placed his paw at the nape of his neck, rubbing his nails into the skin beneath his fur. Making the hard decisions suddenly sucked. "We'll meet up when you're done. Ask the church if we can set up a low-profile post box address at their location. We'll need mail and picking it up from them once a week may be the safest approach; this'll keep people from hiding out at the Post Office and possibly taking hostages to attack us when we come along to get our mail." Fox offered a lopsided smile and said, "Put the word out, Slippy… The People's Appropriation Committee is in town."

Slippy nodded, repeating, "_People's Appropriation Committee is in Town_." He paused, fidgeting with his purple amphiboid neck accessory. "That sorta' makes the acronym, 'P.A.C.T.' like we have a pact to the people, right?"

Fox face faulted. "Just… tell them the committee is in town, Slip." The vulpine gave a sigh then turned to Peppy and added, "Let's get something to hold stuff in. We'll take what we need and put these bodies in the nose of the trailer. Let's get started so Slippy can finish before the sun goes down."

* * *

**The fennec paused before her mirror**, tilted her head to the left, smiled and even preened a little before the reflective surface. She eyed her feminine visage from out of the corner, looking to see if the hoop earring worked from more than just the head-on angle. "Fara, you've really outdone yourself tonight," she said. The vixen gave a tug on her cloth robe; it pooled around her ankles.

Fara always wore a bathrobe while applying makeup so as not to leave powder residue on the fur of her shoulders or collar of a nice shirt. Her gaze cut over to the outfit hanging on the wall. A denim bra hung over the white blouse, matching the denim short-length jacket which stopped over the shirt where the ribcage would end. The skirt section, hemmed to stop at the kneecaps, rested on a clip-hanger, beneath the shirt. The whole outfit screamed feminine and adorable in her opinion.

She snatched the panties off of the hook on the wall and gave them a twirl on her left finger until the tag brushed against her fingertip. She closed her paw around the waistband and turned back to the window, placing a brush into her muzzle by the handle. She backed away from the body-length mirror and turned to the side once more, lifting her tail so that the mid-section brushed her spine and the tip hung outwards… she then dropped the tail, flitting it outwards. "Up or down," she mused with careful consideration. Then, "Jeeze, Phoenix. It's not like you're going to marry this guy. It's just a date with the same guy you've already dressed up for three times in a row."

She eyed the pins that would have kept her tail in the half-up position, reverse curl of the ordinary husky, then tilted her head. "Eh, I did _pinned up_ last time," she said, abandoning the idea. Fara lifted her left leg, balancing on her right hind-paw, and pushed her left foot through the panties. She gracefully hopped to the other foot and repeated the motions, continuing her half-muffled speech over the hairbrush handle.

Next came the denim bra with the silk underside. She hooked the clasp between the left and right cup, used her palms to give her bosom a supportive lift then used her fingers to untwist the left shoulder strap. Her eyes dropped to the small denim bow tied in the front of the panty waistline. "Damn do I have the eyes for an outfit, or what?"

Another woman's voice provided an answer. "It's probably your most feminine feature." The image of an ocelot came up behind Fara's left shoulder then shifted to the other side, sneaking a glance at the mirror over the fennec's right shoulder, pretending to peer through the space between Fara's shoulder and ears. The leopard-printed feline stood on her tiptoes, now peering over Fara's thick, large, horizontal fox ears. "Does he even know you're in the military yet?"

Fara furrowed her brows then raised them with a tilt of her head. "Cindy, he doesn't even know who my _father_ is, yet. I like keeping that stuff separate from the dating life. Besides, I'm still not sure I need to be dating right now. But, since he asked, and the last few dates have gone all right, I'm just going for the food and for the excuse to wear fun outfits."

"You and outfits, I swear," said the feline. Cindy side-stepped, standing adjacent to Fara. "I love the whole act of courting! You know how romance gets me purring; I think it's wonderful!"

"It's hardly courting," Fara replied in a flat voice. "Joshua is a very pleasant man, regal looking and comes from good stock; my parents would love him. But there's nothing to talk about besides what he does for work, how I fill out papers in my office, and how bored we both are with our lives, currently. There's just no spice. It's dinner, small talk and fun clothes."

"Has he kissed you yet?" Cindy asked. The Ocelot turned about and peered over her own shoulder, pretending to inspect her rump. "Does asking about relationships make my ass look fat?"

Fara's muzzle drew into a wide grin. "You know how to make me laugh, you know that? And, to answer your prior question: No. He says he'll know when the right time is, when I give him an expectant look after taking me 'home'. It's nice to know he's at least observant enough to know I've not offered him any expectant looks, thus-far in our short, boring relationship."

"All this gossip is going right to my thighs," Cindy replied in a pouting voice. She flickered her spotted tail in front of the mirror then brought the extension about, placing the chocolate tip against Fara's tummy. "Right here; that's where you should get a piercing. C'mon, it would be sexy. And no one will see it, which makes it demure."

"Get a life, I don't need a bellybutton piercing," Fara said, still on the verge of laughter. "Why don't you get one?"

"Why, what if Josh is _into_ piercings?" Cindy asked, still trying to amuse her friend.

Fara shrugged, remaining nonchalant. "I'm sure he has a double Prince Albert to make up for the lack of metal in his ears, labret, eyebrows, nose, tongue, nipples or anywhere else."

Cindy paused, took a dramatic tone and quickly shifted her eyes to the reflection of Fara's eyes. "You know for a fact he doesn't have nipple piercings, Phoenix?"

Fara chuckled again, shaking her head. "No, you Goober!" She giggled, reaching for the skirt on the hanger. "I placed my palms on his chest and guided him, backwards, through the pick up gate, down in front of the main complex."

"His heart beats, right?" Cindy feigned a dramatic look of concern. "And you're sure he has a penis, yeah? It sounds an awful lot like your rich parents built a robo-boy, to take you on dates. He doesn't cuss, smoke or swear and he's been a perfect gentleman. It just seems eerie. …Or boring."

"Or both." Fara nodded in agreement. "I've no need to do any body part checks. As far as I'm concerned, he's a figurine doll; has plastic underwear molded to his hips and isn't designed to take to bed. Besides, I'm a fennec and he's an equine. Small-built vixens don't mate well with horses, unless they've walked the circuit a few hundred times for practice, first."

"At least he has good manners," Cindy reminded, holding a finger up. "I'm just curious about who is taking my best pal out on a fourth date."

"I told you," said Fara. "Joshua. Besides, you're a lesbian; I know your interest is purely for the gossip and the emotional regard for me."

Cindy beamed, announcing, "If he gets out of line, I get first dibs in punching him in the nose!"

"Sold!" Fara exclaimed. "…To the feline with the spots and the feisty attitude!" The vixen wiggled the skirt up over her legs pulling it to her hips. She reached for the blouse, letting Cindy tie the bow in the skirt above the tail hole. She passed the brush, a little moist with saliva on the handle, to Cindy.

The ocelot thought nothing of wiping the brush handle on her black-spotted, yellow-furred hip before taking the fennec's tail into her left palm. While Fara continued dressing, Cindy began brushing her friend's tail. "I'm glad for you, honey. By the way, Julie asked me to see a movie next Friday. If Joshua is interested, we could turn it into a double date. Don't worry, I'm not asking so that I can meet your horsy. I'm just offering because I'd be a bitch if I didn't."

"I'll ask him," Fara replied, fastening the buttons of her blouse. She came to the last one, pushed her left paw down against the collar of her shirt, then used her right fingertips to fluff up a diminutive tuft of fuzz. It rested directly overtop the short ruffle of sandy hairs hovering her moderate sized breast, where the coulee of her reticent cleavage began.

* * *

**Joshua appeared edgy tonight**. Fara refused to pick at her outfit; she felt it to be far too adorable to ruin. She twirled the fork about in her paw then used the handle to poke him in the nose. "You're distracted. Is there something you want to tell me, Mister?"

His eyes raked over the vixen's lovely appearance, drinking in every part of it then stopped on her brilliant green eyes. "I suppose I'm at a loss for words, tonight."

"I know the look, battalion stallion," she mused, recanting the fork. "You want to break things off so you can move on, or move out of town all together. Believe me, I've seen it before; you're not the first guy with a career on his mind."

Josh shifted his weight uncomfortably. "You're not upset are you? I don't want you to feel like I've led you on."

"Led me on with what?" she asked. "Your flirty, oversexed dinner talk? All those conversations about marriage?" The sarcasm seemed to drip from her voice. "Do you seriously feel like you're leading me on by talking about boring jobs and what different restaurants are like?"

"I'm not sure that we're from the same worlds, Fara," he said, sighing at the end of the reply. "I'm looking to transfer to a corporate firm on the other side of Corneria and between meetings and briefings, I'd be golfing with rich CEOs, trying to further my career, you know? I'm looking for a woman who knows that life intimately, so she can help me better my standing and status. I do what jobs I can for the money, so that I can life a lavish lifestyle."

Fara drew out the single-worded reply. "Oh…" She lowered her paws to the denim short-jacket. "And this sort of getup screams, 'I work at the mall double-shifts on weekends, go to college and don't know what I want out of life just yet', but is cute, none-the-less."

"I don't even know what you do, Fara," he said, adding, "but your outfit is very nice even though the blue-on-white doesn't do much to compliment your green eyes. They're very intelligent eyes, you know."

"Well thank you," she said with a polite looking smile. "Don't worry; I only wanted to do the dinner dating scene, anyhow. It's just you're the only guy that has asked, and I hate sitting home watching television. But you're right…" Fara paused, placing the fork on the table, upon a napkin. "You don't know what I do because you've never really showed much interest. Other than the few times I've complained about filing papers that seem ludicrous to fill out, you have had no hints to work on, either."

"So what is it that you do?" he asked, crossing his hooves, just beneath the ankles, under their dinner table.

"By day, I'm a Chief Petty Officer serving at the Cornerian Defense base. I'm acting Chief Test Pilot and the second youngest female to ever reach Chief in Cornerian military history; I plan to attend Officer's school. By night, I'm the daughter of Zerda Phoenix. I often entertain daddy's guests, usually 'golfing buddies' of his, by taking them on a tour of his personal green, behind the mansion. I usually play pretty well; more often than not, I'm stroking at around, oh, _albatross_. He likes when I entertain his golfing friends, because I'm a good judge of the wind. It's all aerodynamics against wind conditions, which is probably why I'm such a _damn_ good test pilot."

The horse's jaw parted but he remained silent. Fara smiled, reaching across the table to pat his muscular cheek. "What? Kicking yourself because you could have tried to further things with me, practiced your putting, _and_ tried to find yourself a cushy seat with the Phoenix Enterprises Magnate?"

He went for his glass of water, taking a moment to quench his unusually dry mouth. A smile tugged at the corner of Fara's muzzle. "Could you seriously see a tiny little vixen fennec …with a horse, twice her size? I know I'm a tough girl, but you'd probably crush me; muscle weighs more than fat and you're one… solid muscle with clothes and hooves. Do the math; you can't go squashing the girl whose father you would be trying to impress."

"You're seriously three strokes under par?" Josh asked then added, "And you play with Zerda Phoenix?"

"Not to say anything less than ladylike," Fara began, using a napkin to daintily dab her lips in a purposeful feminine display. "But I'm the feminine strawberry that is the fruit of Zerda Phoenix's loins. Why wouldn't I play with my father? And yes, I'm a double-eagle, because I always correctly judge the wind; like I said, it's why I'm such a good test pilot. If it flies, I will learn how to control it – golf balls included. And yes, Josh," she paused for dramatic effect. "I realize that, in the ancient times, Golf was an acronym for 'Gentleman Only… Ladies Forbidden', sweetheart. I'm the apple of daddy's eye, I can get my way anytime I want it and yet I'm self proficient and earn what I like."

"There's no getting around you, is there," he said with a soft smile. "You're the king, the queen, the Alpha and the Omega of your life, aren't you?"

"When I need to be," Fara agreed.

"What if I told you that I only asked you out to see if you were really made of pure spunk, above and beyond your upbringing?"

Fara offered a dubious look. "That would imply that you knew I was related to Zerda Phoenix, or that I was a pilot. That would be implying that you knew something about me in general. And since I purposely pronounced my name _fennecs_, so that my military superiors don't treat me like – again please pardon my unladylike comment – a multi-billionaire vagina, I highly doubt you knew to make the connection. I doubt you knew my last name really _is_ pronounced '_Phoenix._' I doubt you knew I was a pilot or had money or that I've never really practiced with a putter because I always sink it before I get from the tee to the fairway, let alone out to the green."

"What if I did know you were a pilot?" he asked, folding his hands in a pleasant way. "What if I figured that you learned to fly from a transporter pilot who flies for Phoenix Industries? What if I saw a photograph of you in a magazine that published the article about Phoenix Industries becoming Phoenix Enterprises? Now, I had no idea you golfed with the chairmen of the board, but I also didn't date you because of who you were. I dated you because you looked good in the outfit you were wearing, the night I met you at the mall."

"Oh really?" Fara tilted her head, causing two of the hoop earrings in her left ear to clink together. She reached up and removed them with a smile. "I'm glad, because I hate wearing this kind of jewelry just to look like a lady on a date."

"There's more," Josh said. He stood up from the table, dabbed his mouth with a napkin then offered his hand. "Follow me outside and I'll show you."

Curiosity overcame her. She put her napkin on the table, finished the glass of wine next to her plate and gathered her jacket and purse. "All right." She pushed the chair in, shouldered her purse and took his hand, following him outside.

The two walked down a cobblestone path, behind the restaurant. The complex hovered over, of all things, a golf course which became a walking path by sundown. She linked her small arm around the horse's larger bicep, but eventually settled for hooking her wrist over his forearm. The forest came up around either side of them, further down the path, until the consuming darkness swallowed the trail.

"I just wanted to apologize, Fara. Not just for leading you on," he said.

"Here we go again," Fara said. She chuckled, shaking her head. "Forget it. It wouldn't have worked out, anyhow. We can call it an acquaintanceship, Josh. What more is to be sorry for?"

"I just need one last thing from you," he said, slowing to a stop. He turned to her slowly.

Fara paused, thinking of a way to say 'no sex' without sounding trite. "As long as it's not the cliché male desire of female comfort, before you leave on your trip."

"I wouldn't dream of such a demand," he replied. The equine placed his free paw on the side of her face. His gentle touch alarmed her; he usually didn't make any sort of advances. She half expected a semi-chaste kiss or something but that never happened. Instead, cold metal met the back of her neck, gently burrowing into the short sand-colored fur. Her eyes widened, feeling the round object, slightly larger than a quarter, touching the nape of her neck. She lifted her gaze back to him, demanding an explanation which he began without hesitation. "The gun is to ensure that you don't scream."

"Well, get on with it; what do you want?" She'd been used all along.

"We've obtained information on G-diffusing technology and the prototype fighter ability to magnetically create a field by use of a standard high-G barrel roll, to deflect energy. But now, we need one last thing. You're lucky, Fara… We knew we couldn't kill you from the start, because you were a high profile target, thanks to daddy's money. Now, that doesn't mean we won't kill you in self defense or because you refuse to help us. So, do what you're told, and we'll let you go. Your investigation won't turn up anything and, at the most, you'll simply have an embarrassed look on your face for the press, because you gave secrets to your boyfriend of four dates."

"Shut up and get to the bottom line," Fara replied. Her ears lowered, pointing down and back at a forty-five degree angle.

"Word has it that Corneria has created a special missile bomb for the prototype fighter jet. It's supposed to simulate the flash and power of a miniature super nova. I want the plans on the bomb, OR you can take me to the compound and help me steal one bomb off the test planes. If you help me, I won't turn you in to the press as the date of a Venom Spy. It saves your credibility. Also, I won't detonate the bomb in that restaurant, killing every patron and waiter throughout the west wing or central section."

Fara looked him over in the darkness, through squinted eyes. "You're bright enough to have the detonator _on_ you, incase I try to trick you?"

"Right here," said Josh, lifting a small box with a metal pin at one end. A small square button rested at the center of the remote unit. "And, let's not forget the man behind you, with the gun pressed against the base of your skull."

"How could I forget? The most charming part of your fourth dinner date," she said with a shrug. "But after all this, you owe _me_ one small favor too."

"Oh?"

Fara smirked. "There is _no way_ I'm doing separate checks again. You're picking up my tab tonight. Else, no deal." To her words, he offered a nod. Expecting a different reaction, Fara remained cool, waiting for the right opportunity to decide how to proceed with her new military objective. For now, she had to get them away from the restaurant, where the detonator's range would be less effective. "Now, if we go back to the base, your little remote toy isn't going to lose reception and automatically detonate, is it?"

"No, it doesn't have a reverse auto-fail safety," Josh said. "If it did, and I lost reception in a bathroom stall, I wouldn't want it to blow up, now would I? I went for something less complex in design. Saves money; saves lives if you work with me. Now, let's go. We've cut a hole in the fence and have a sedan waiting, just through the trees, by the main road." He drew his hand back from her face, collected a second gun from the other man and put it to her forehead. "I'm afraid there is no safety on the weapon, just the detonator. He'll go first, then you, and I'll follow you. Start walking, Fara."

"Through the trees?" Phoenix sought to buy herself a minute more by playing the 'girly' card. "I'd better not tear this outfit on the foliage. Isn't there another way around?"

The other man interjected in a stern voice. "Walk, bitch." He jabbed his gun against the nape of her neck then took the lead by a few steps, moving the barrel to her cheek.

Phoenix turned to face the other man and began to walk, between the two of them. The other man appeared to be a marmoset. "Your monkey friend has real manners; I bet _he_ knows how to show a lady a good time on a date."

"Just hush and stop talking," Josh said with a frustrated sigh.

A metallic barrel gleamed in the evening moonlight; Fara Phoenix's ear flickered, feeling the gun pressed firmly against the side of her head. Her eyes narrowed and her arms folded, remaining composed. Her stoic demeanor seemed to disconcert the marmoset holding the weapon. Fara could smell the ape's blood; she knew the perpetrator felt nervous.

* * *

A/N: _So, as it seems, Venom is fighting this war with old fashion tactics… payoffs, spies, mercenaries, chemical warfare and other war tactics… They're doing it dirty, where civilized Corneria is trying to fight the modern Lylat way: Integrity and Technology. They're going to find out _real fast_ what it takes to stop Venom… someone who is out to win, fights with ferocity and is willing to give it some under-dog guts, fueled by anger, resentment and complete ill will. Someone with a pension for doing what's right after receiving a retainer fee for putting their lives in jeopardy. I wonder who that someone will be. _

_Fara has always been a fun character to write. In the comic, she offers to help other team mates. She offers to help Fox fly the black hole, she offers to help Slippy work on the Arwings instead of have dinner with the team, halfway through the series. She offers to show that she has guts, but something about her screams "tough." And with all the toughness that her character seems to radiate with, just shy of portrayals, she's shown in a dress, looking demure for Fox, sitting in the grass with Fox on the base, just having a conversation with him. She's a diverse character with an underground fan base history. We've grown to love Fara in our own way and yet everyone who has read my other story, REFLECTIONS OF A NEW GENERATION, has re-embraced her outside of Fox's life, with open arms. And, in doing so, you've embraced my idea of her future; I appreciate that. It will make things easier, later in this story when she is struck with a fatal blow. Partially because we know it's not forever… partially because we know that Fox eventually winds up with Krystal ANYhow. Still, many of us are emotionally attached to Fara Phoenix. In the next chapter, we'll see how she gets herself out of the hot seat and into the cockpit of the Arwing, which is still only in construction. As of yet, Space Dynamics hasn't taken over the mass production of the fighter. It's just a prototype using a handful of their parts. _

_All right, see you guys soon! _

_Oh, and thanks for all the feedback reviews, emails, PMs and general contact. I appreciate it. I've forgotten how much love I get on my StarFox REFLECTION stories, while I was off working on the Sly Cooper stuff; but don't forget, I'm also doing a Castlevania story called "Claws Of Fate". If you like action / combat / gore and worldly history about vampires… then it might be a story for you! _

_-Kit _


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: _Sorry for the delay! I wrote an extra long chapter this time, just to make up for the wait! I also introduce two more characters in this chapter. Wee!_

Chapter -4-  
Earning a Reputation

**Fara Phoenix faced the window, her eyes gazing out into the night sky**. Her ears lowered, until the lengthy fennec triangles touched her shoulders. She remained quiet. Her paws rested upon the purse in her lap, sitting in a lady-like posture. Prim and proper, she held her wrists out and paws canted down, ninety degrees. Her thumb and fingers pinched over the top of the purse, keeping her back straight and chin held high.

"You've not said a word since we left the restaurant," said the horse. He sat besides her, in the back seat, with a gun against her hip. "I know your personality arch-type pretty well. You're the kind of girl that strives hard to do the best in her career. Getting tricked is a debilitating blow to your feminine ego, isn't it?"

Fara said nothing. At this point, she simply wanted to change her clothes into something comfortable or maybe soak in a bathtub. The fiery vixen held her tongue, in an attempt to ignore his taunting.

He continued the banter. "So, how _did_ I become so smooth and clever? How did I capture you? You never saw it coming, and now you hate yourself."

"Simple," she replied in a calm, stoic voice. "I must have blinked back there, Joshua. I have no ego; I'd rather die in my cockpit then eject into enemy territory where my chances of survival are slim, because you can't torture a dead person for military information."

"And yet, here you are, my prisoner," he said with a pleasant smile. "If you'd rather die than give up military secrets, why didn't you resist when I pulled out the gun?"

"Maybe I will when the time is right," she returned with a calm sigh. "I'd have to put a lot of trust into someone to eject in hostile airspace. However, _we_ were in a public place. If I _didn't_ cooperate, you'd have threatened an innocent bystander. So, I went with you, quietly."

Josh tilted his head, looking her over. "I see. So if I held you at gunpoint at the top of a skyscraper with ten venom guards waiting for you on the sidewalk holding a net, you'd only jump if someone you trusted said that they would rescue you, somewhere between the roof and the ground?"

Phoenix offered a smirk. "The problem is, I've never met anyone I trusted that much," she replied. "I don't misplace my trust in people, Joshua. Obviously, you do, or you wouldn't be working for the Venom Empire."

"You're wrong about Venom," said the horse. He jabbed her in the hip with the gun barrel as if to punctuate his statement. "Andross is a scientist, a man of research, first and foremost. He has promised to help find a way to turn Venom's acidic seas and barren soil into a place as beautiful as Corneria."

Fara canted her head to the equine and offered a dry simper; she followed the expression with a roll of her eyes. "Gee, Joshua… He's _really_ trying to save Venom? Meanwhile, he's turning Zoness into a _toxic_ _wasteland_ by raping the planet of its every mineral and fossil fuel resource. If he has no qualms about turning a beautiful ocean planet into a dump, do you _really_ think he would help Venom? No, you moron. See? You've misplaced your trust, Joshua. Venom is just a platform for him to get revenge against Corneria. He has no intentions of saving Venom's ecosystem."

"That's where you're wrong," Joshua replied, jamming the gun barrel into her hip, again. He smiled at her wince then added, "He's been running tests with a machine that may be able to change a section of the climate on Titania. It's a desert, and if he can grow life there, then he'll have succeeded. He may even hide the machine there, but don't think you'll be able to access it easily. He'll guard it with bio-weapons and technologically advanced guards, if he decides to keep his research there."

The marmoset glanced in the rearview mirror and said, "He wants to crush Corneria, it's true, but part of his ideals are in making Venom lush and green again, the way it was a thousand years ago. If he can accomplish this, he'll make Venom into the central power of Lylat, and Corneria will become the wasteland. Saving Venom is part of his plot to get revenge on Corneria."

"Bio weapons," Fara muttered. "The man is insane if he plans to bring peace to Lylat using biological or bioengineering warfare. And you're both insane if you think that having an Emperor is a better idea than having a government elected and run by the people. Individuals in a group better understand the need of the people than one man who is in power. How can an Emperor understand the suffering of the poor or … just, whatever. I don't have the desire to talk politics with you idiots." She looked back out the window, glaring off into the distance.

"Andross is a man," Joshua said. "He has feelings; he's experienced love, loss and betrayal. Being sent to Venom separated him from part of his family. He can't see his grandson or any of the Bowman line. His daughter married an aristocrat and lives on Corneria. Do you know why he began conducting biological experiments? It's because he wanted to save the mother of his children. Corneria frowned on his desire to undertake any means necessary to save that woman. Of the two women he ever loved, both of them died. I know him well. Andross saves people, but he is very defensive towards those who want to harm him or _bring_ harm to those he cares for. In order to save Venom, he _has_ to go to war with Corneria."

"You're ranting," Fara said. "I doubt you can name one person who he has saved."

The equine didn't miss a beat. "A man named Herbert Dengar was dying from the same rare disease which took the life of his daughter's mother. Sure, they weren't married or anything, but she came down with that genetic mutation disease and died. So, when Herbert Dengar began to die from it, Andross worked tirelessly to save him. On Herbert's death bed, Andross transferred his consciousness into an android pig, because Herbert's dying wish was that he wanted to see his son, Pigma, make something of his life." Joshua shifted his weight, keeping the gun against her hip, then said, "I'm not sure of all the details in the story, but from what I understand, Pigma was a fighter pilot. Andross organized a way to bring him to Venom, so that he could see his father. Herbert was delighted and Pigma made some life choices; in the end, Pigma moved to Venom. Andross even pays the boy an allowance of some sort. Pigma does small favors in the name of Venom, and gets rich off of it. I don't know the whole story, but that's what I've learned. How touching is that? Andross gives a damn about Venom."

"He also went crazy, so Corneria expelled him," Fara muttered. "I don't want to talk about this. Cornerians know the value of loyalty, unlike Andross, who was a threat."

"A threat to the government gets themselves expelled from the planet," Josh said. "That shows how Corneria is. Half of the government is on Venom's payroll. How do you think I found out who was the Chief Test Pilot, with access to the restricted part of the base?"

"So, that's what this is about?" Fara asked. She turned her head back to the horse and glared at him. "You just wanted to use me to steal technology? What is it that you're after?"

"Corneria has invented a bomb that simulates the gravitational expansion and collapse field of a supernova. We've already achieved the technology on Gravity defusing, magnetic reflection of offensive energy blasts and anything else Corneria thinks will win the war. Now, we'll use you to steal this new bomb."

The marmoset smirked, glancing in the rearview again. "Not to mention the progress we're making in stealth capabilities and…"

"Hush," Josh said. "Fara," he turned back to the fennec and used his free hand to pat her muzzle. "You're quite the public target. You don't just murder the daughter of a rich family. Now, if you cooperate, I'll let you go. But if you try anything funny, you'll die out of self defense. Do you understand?"

"Who says I'm _really_ the daughter of a rich…"

"Shut up," Joshua interjected. "We've gone over this and I tire of your boring prattle. You pronounce your name _Fara Fennecs_, so that people overlook your background. You just want the chance to earn your way to the top of your career. Listen, honey, I have a portfolio of profiles. You're in it. All that stuff we talked about at the restaurant? I knew it six months ago because half the military brass is on our payroll. And you're going to be a good girl and we'll let you go. Then you'll start an investigation by tattling on the Cornerian Military. Half of them will be imprisoned and a bunch of enlisted people attending Officer's school will become the ranking military leaders. Then, Corneria won't have a military advantage. Do you know how many Generals the army has? Four. Do you know how many of them are on our payroll? Four. Your army will be without leadership, which weakens Corneria… but isn't that better than having traitors in command?"

Fara sighed. "Are we there yet?" She did her best to look disinterested but the equine's words still chilled her to the bone. She had to let Corneria know. Even if a bunch of people fresh out of officer's school became Generals, it would still be the lesser of two evils.

"Take a look," Joshua said, snatching her jaw in his free hand. He forced her to face forward, casting her gaze through the windshield. The car rolled to a stop, at the entry gate of the Capital City defense base. The new Nova Bombs were stored in a restricted section of this base and she was one of three people with access. Only a military leader would have had the knowledge of who had such clearance. Fara didn't even know who the other two pilots were or if they were pilots at all.

Almost as if reading her mind, Joshua said, "Did you know you're the only female who has special operations restriction access?" He gave a smile. "Which means you'd be the easiest to abduct. Now, get your precious little tail out of this car, go up to the guard at the gate, and give him your ID card. If you tip him off, you'll both die. Then, no one finds out that part of the Cornerian Military are Venom spies. So, move your ass."

Fara narrowed her gaze for a moment then wedged her purse on the floor, kicking it under the passenger seat. She leaned forward. "I'm not getting out of this car, because he'll see your gun, and then you'll start shooting. So sit on the blaster and let me do the talking." She reached her paw to a button in the center console and the convertible's top lowered. She stood up in the back seat and leaned over Joshua, putting her right paw on the driver's headrest. She handed her identification card to the guard and said, "I left my purse in my locker, this afternoon, Specialist Gerald. Did you know that some bars actually card you for drinks? And get this: they wouldn't accept my military identification! Do I seriously look under eighteen, Gerry?" She flitted her tail from left to right, in a listless manner, while leaning out of the car to sign the clipboard. "Open the gate, babe; don't keep a woman from her purse."

The guard offered Fara an odd look. He handed the badge back then opened the gate. The convertible began to pull forward. Fara turned about, waved at the guard with a wink then immediately dropped into her seat, acting somewhat inebriate. She based her plan off of guard policy… report all drunken pilots to the Military Police. She turned to Josh and reached up to pat his cheek. "See? I got you in, and minimized all the unnecessary theatrics of getting out of the car, walking around to the guard shack, and all that stupid stuff."

"If anyone is performing theatrics, it's _you_," said the marmoset. "You know the punch code to get us into the restricted section. I'm almost there. Then, you get out and punch the code into the gate. No tricks. Cunning vixens get shot, stupid whore."

Fara turned to Josh with a flat gaze. "Are his insults _really_ necessary? Is he just jealous that you went on a few dates with me? You two are a couple, aren't you? Jeeze, I didn't even realize it until just now; I must have blinked again. Second time tonight; it's just not my evening, is it?"

The marmoset, driving the vehicle, said, "You desert foxes are an egotistical bunch, aren't you? Just shut your mouth; we'll be at the target location, soon. And if you try anything funny, I won't hesitate to take you out."

"Did I offend your pet monkey? So is he _really_ working for you, or is it the other way around? C'mon, Josh. You could do so much better. I bet he helped you dress for your dates, too. Did he do your tie for ya?"

"You think he's been involved in this all along?" Josh retorted. "Please, Fara, I hired him to help me finish the job. He gets his paycheck then goes back to Venom to continue training how to fly robotic armored defense suits. Venom _will_ be victorious. And then, Lord Andross, Emperor of Venom, will show Corneria that _he_ is the benevolent leader and that Corneria's government is the corrupt evil group with a rosy public smile. Your government is the most two-faced _gang of thugs_ there is. Why do you think so many of them are willing to serve whoever they feel is in their best interest? They don't know what _loyalty_ or _cause_ really is, Fara."

"I read most men like I read mystery books… last page first. The problem with you, Josh, is that the middle pages were the ones that detail you as a lowlife scumbag loser who has to buy dinner just to try and get military secrets out of a woman. What would an equine want with a vixen anyhow? We foxes don't sleep standing up, so it's not like you'd want to wake up besides me. I just accepted the dinner dates out of curiosity. Now, the only thing that's bothering _me_ is that you might actually be dating your getaway driver, and I wasn't perceptive enough to pickup the fact that you're not really into girls. I _usually_ sense that kind of thing in a guy, right away. Like I said, I keep blinking tonight and I'm rather perturbed by it. But, at least you know how to show a girl an exciting evening without trying to bring 'sex' to the table."

"Fara," Josh trailed off with a frustrated sigh. "Just, please, hush. And I'm not dating any guys; you're a really nice girl, but it's obvious that you're not my type _any_how. It has nothing to do with the fact that we're _not_ physically compatible, but, rather, because I'm the crooked businessman, who sees the bigger picture of sunshine and flowers, way down the road, and knows that it takes certain immoral acts to achieve that life… and you're the do-gooder Girl Scout type, who is an anti-hero in my book, inadvertently standing in the way of true system wide peace. I bet you even made cookies, growing up. Isn't that right, scout? You must be a wizard in the kitchen."

Fara replied with a slow nod and smirk. Her ears drew back and her whiskers came to lie along her muzzle. "Yeah, I'll have to show you what we girls learned to do in _Scouts_, sometime in the general future. So, have you ever tried my pound cake?"

Josh shook his head. "Can't say I have," he replied. The driver said nothing.

She reached back down, beneath the passenger seat, and retrieved her purse. "The first bite will be a little rough," she told him with a smile. But I'll let you eat it out of my palm," adding, _'when I feed it to you with my knuckles,_' in thought, keeping the threat in her mind for now. She resumed her pleasant ladylike demeanor.

Fara resumed silence. She weighed her options but, for now, remained calm. Her paws still rested upon the little purse, looking prim and proper. She knew she had to build up their male ego by looking coy and demure. Her posture and the way she held her paws over the purse, wrists arched down, paws positioned as though she'd held something frail like a paper tablecloth, seemed to suggest to her assailants that she'd be a pushover.

In actuality, Fara found herself having an exciting night. She and Joshua only ate half of their dinner which, she felt, became a wise decision on her part. Should she have to run, she wouldn't be stuffed and cramp up from exertion. Now, with the realization of Joshua's treachery, she wondered just how far the extent of his lies reached. Her gaze cut to him, offering a sidelong glance at the muscular equine. "So, is your name really Josh?"

He nodded, licked his lips then said, "Yes, and I'm still a businessman for hire. I still play golf with the wealthy and am more than a, shall we say, _caddie_, or whatever it is you might think of me. Your file said you were hungry to advance in your career and proud of your achievements. But your lavish and wealthy lifestyle has turned you into a frail little princess. That's all right, though. You don't have to be a marine to fly a plane, I suppose. Still, I resent you for your financially copious lifestyle, your adorably pouty expression and one other girly thing. It's the way your ears lay and your whiskers shy back when I prod you with the barrel of this blaster. It really shows me that you're 'just a girl' if you know what I mean."

"You're right about one thing: I do think you're pretty _caddy_." She continued to look prim and regal, holding her purse in an elegant way. Her paws remained side by side, over the top of the fashion accessory, the way she'd learned in finishing school, six years ago. '_If they're going to think of me as some pushover female__, I'll let them think I'm as ladylike as it gets, then…'_ she grinned inwardly at what would come next; they could eat cake as far as she felt concerned. But, if she could pull things off _her_ way, they'd be eating 'pound' cake through broken teeth. She began to formulate a plan in her head. '_That's right… let them eat cake. There's no damn way I'm going to let this go much further. The MP will show up and I'll distract these morons… My roommate is going to love hearing about my date.'_

The car came to a stop, facing the electronic gates to the restricted section of the base. She stepped out of the car and approached the numerical keypad. She punched in the code and the car pulled through the gate. With a forlorn sigh, Fara pointed to a building a few yards away. Adjacent to it, three M-Class fighters sat on the runway with a strange cylinder beneath each one. She guided the car over to the parking lot then pointed at the jets with the large cylinders, beneath them.

"This is what you're looking for," she said, nudging a canister with her foot. "Arspace Dynamics; they're a young company, looking to merge with another larger company. They want to change their name to just 'Space Dynamics', if this new technology is a success. They're making the Nova Smart-Bomb in bulk but the designers are already looking to sell the rights. They may change the name of the Nova Bomb, but for now, the prototype is just called… the Nova Bomb. You'll find that…" Fara found herself interrupted by Joshua pointing his gun at her.

"Shut up. Unlike you, I _don't_ blink. So I need you to take your top lip to your bottom lip, and _shut it_. Now…" Joshua pointed to the building. "No more history lesson. Take us inside. We'll get one of these new devices from the warehouse. When we're done, you'll kneel down in the back corner and I'll stun you. Then we'll leave and you'll only be partially implicated. Part of your plea bargain will be to get a _reduced_ sentence – I'd estimate 6 months in the brig – for offering the information about the Military Brass. You can tell the court that you overheard us talking about it and they'll show you mercy. Open the door," he added at the end, pointing his left paw to the entrance.

"Ladies first, huh?" asked Fara with a smile. She sauntered over to the building, making sure to sashay her hips. She opened the door and the marmoset stepped in, with Josh keeping the gun trained on her. "Guess not," she muttered, following the marmoset into the building. She flipped a light switch on and pointed to a row of crates. The marmoset ran to the first one and pried off the lid, pulling out a single Nova Bomb. He struggled to lift it. Fara sighed, closing her eyes. She remained by the door for the time being, trying not to laugh at the marmoset's stupidity; she didn't dare open her eyes yet. "It has a turbo thruster, designed to project it away from the fighter. Even without fuel, you can't lift that whole damn thing without giving yourself a hernia." Her eyes remained shut.

"Shut her up," said the marmoset, still struggling to pull the weapon from the crate.

"Gladly," replied Josh. He drew the blaster back and struck Fara in the back of her head with the handle. While the strike surprised her, thanks in part to having her eyes shut, she made sure to take the strike in stride. The wimpy attack gave her the chance to get theatrical. She careened into the wall, near the light switch and slumped to the floor, hiding her smirk. She played the part of the fainted damsel. "She's a frail one, all right," Josh muttered. "We'll take two. One in the trunk and one in the back seat. The roof is already down, so this should be quick. Let's get it together. Her little cinematic moment at the gate will cause the guard to contact the Military Police to investigate her being 'drunk'. She knew what she was doing and it was clever. When we leave, we'll go with the headlights off and I'll set fire to this building, to distract them."

"I thought you were going to let her live?" asked the ape.

The horse approached the crates, clearing his throat. "I'm sure they'll get her out before the building collapses. They have a good response time, but it will distract them, while we get away."

"Wouldn't the bombs explode from the fire?" asked the monkey.

"This is why _you_ are the lackey and _I_ am the brains of this operation," Joshua said, shaking his head. He muttered to himself for a moment about the man's incompetence then sighed. "No, the bombs will not _explode_. If they exploded from the heat of a little building fire, not _one_ single fighter would survive the heat of atmospheric reentry. Think about that for a moment… Bombs have a detonator. They don't go off until the detonator separates the wall between ingredient 'A' and ingredient 'B'. When the chemicals mix, a reaction occurs and THAT is when they detonate." He grumbled incoherently and brought the palm of his hand to his snout in a defeatist, sarcastic manner. …_Fire_; as if." He added the last word at the end with a roll of his eyes.

"Very well," said the marmoset. "But how do we escape from the base? Isn't the mesh link fence electrified?"

Joshua nodded with a smile. "I plan to drive through the fence on the far end, that's why I elected to use an old fashion car with rubber tires. It will keep us grounded when we drive through the electric fence. Don't worry, it won't short the motor; I had it sealed. And when we hit the fence, take your hands off the wheel. Let's hurry." He and the marmoset began lifting the first bomb, together, walking outside to the car.

As soon as they carried the first bomb out to the trunk, Fara hopped up and turned the lights out, while keeping her eyes shut. She used her large fennec ears to listen for their return footsteps. Josh opened the door again and Fara finally opened her eyes, which were now fully adjusted to the dark.

She kicked the door shut which caught his forearm. The gun hit the floor and clattered across the concrete. Fara kicked the door handle, causing the mechanism to bend. Josh began to struggle with the knob on the outside; she knew she'd bought herself time to find the gun in the dark. The vixen's natural night vision allowed her to spot it with ease. Joshua, a powerful equine, kicked in the door and caused it to fly open. The hinges groaned and the knob became imbedded in the wall.

Fara sprinted towards the crates in the center of the room. Simultaneous to her dive over the boxes, she shot her blaster into the containers. The athletic vixen hit the floor and rolled hard with her eyes clinched. She came to rest beneath a metal table and held her breath. She brought her paws to her ears, covering them tightly. The Nova bomb she'd shot ruptured as planned. It didn't detonate; instead, it ignited the primary magnesium detonator, which simply caused a flash and a loud pop.

After the noise, she rolled back out from beneath the table and leapt up on top of a crate. She extended her leg with grace, catching the marmoset in the face. The stunned monkey pivoted about and collapsed to the floor with two broken teeth. The athletic vixen, a natural jumper, somersaulted off of the box and landed on the fallen ape. Her heels collided with his chest, cracking two ribs; she bounded off of him and dropped to the floor, sweeping her leg across the concrete.

Her foot met Joshua's ankles, kicking his legs out from beneath him. She moved up to a kneeling position, drew the blaster back, then brought it down with all of her might. She struck him in the jaw hard enough to daze him, then said, "How's that pound cake, jerk? That's classic Scout cooking, tough guy." She jumped to her feet and hopped back. He reached out for her but couldn't see in the dark, having been blinded by the flash. She lifted her left leg then stomped on his jowl, shattering the bone like glass. His hands went up to his chin and he rolled away, protecting his face.

Fara trained the blaster on him and said, "I hope you weren't expecting a '_good night kiss_', tonight, douche bag." She grinned then added, "But I wanted to be a good date, that's why I gave you a '_smack in the kisser_' as the expression goes. It's pathetic that you thought you could get away with this. And, just so you know, your information was all jacked up, buddy. There _are_ three people who have access to this restricted part of the base. But it just occurred to me: two of them are upper brass. That means a lot, if you think about it. The most important thing is, they won't have access anymore, now that I know to report them. And, believe me, you'll never have the chance to get close to me again, so I don't see you kidnapping me again."

Joshua let out a muffled groan, still favoring his broken jaw. Fara moved around him in a semi circle, so that she faced both men on the ground. She lifted the blaster and stunned the marmoset, then lowered the weapon to the horse. "Good luck trying to get me to turn over the access codes, so your lackeys can make a second try. I'm a hard girl to get, Josh. I go after what I want, I get what I want, and I don't make myself accessible to those who want what I got. Are you digesting this? When you're sitting in a Cornerian jail, I want you to tell your contact that Fara Phoenix is the only one who can get your stolen Nova Bomb, but guess what… Cornerian Government protection, buddy. After I report those turncoat officers, I'll be difficult to find." She drew her foot back and kicked the horse in the wrist before he could reach for his backup weapon.

He recoiled in pain, having the joint broken. For having a broken wrist and jaw, Joshua seemed rather resilient.

"So, you've got fortitude. You won't even cry out, that's pretty damn impressive," she said, keeping her gun trained on him. She moved close the reached for the lump on his hip. She withdrew his other gun from the holster beneath his dress jacket, worn since their dinner date, and she tossed it outside. "Up until tonight, you've been a perfect gentleman. Something tells me you're always a boring date. Golf? Are you kidding? A girl like me prefers a guy who knows how to live on the edge, just a little. Sure, I like a guy with a little self discipline, but to be honest, this is the most exciting date we've had. You were a really boring dinner date, the last three times, Josh. Not that you apparently know how to treat a lady, or anything."

"Engh," he groaned, forming the words over the pain of his broken jaw. "Stop boasting, you've won. You've got both guns and you're standing. Just stun me."

"I'm normally not this chatty," she said. "But I just wanted to really rub it in your face that you underestimated me. Yes, I'm _so_ frail. You hardly swung at me."

Josh's words sounded muffled. "So, you're the nice girl with all the right moves."

"Stuff it," she retorted. "I've flown my whole life, and I've been in gymnastics nearly as long. I teach a woman's self defense training course for young enlisted members and, because it's something I do in my spare time, it's not in my military profile. Do you know why you failed your mission?"

Josh rolled to his other side, still cradling his jaw. He kept his right hand tucked up to his chest, due to his broken wrist.

Fara smirked and cleared her throat. She offered a dramatic pause then said, "Because you're too proud and egotistical. _Everyone_ blinks sooner or later, Joshua. You blinked and all I had to do was wait for it to happen."

Josh pivoted on his hip, without warning, and delivered a vicious kick at her ankles. Fara attempted to leap over his foot but stumbled to the floor. He rolled over and head butted her across the shoulder, narrowly missing her face. The two guns skittered across the ground, adding a cacophony of noise, which echoed throughout the warehouse.

The horse got to his feet and drew back his unbroken forearm, making a tight fist. She rolled onto her back, arched her legs up, then kicked him in the sternum. It did little more than faze him; with defensive instincts, he wrapped his left arm around her ankles. He pivoted on his feet and sent her sliding across the warehouse floor, in the opposite direction of the gun.

He picked the weapon up in his left hand and pointed at her. She dashed at him but he drew his left arm out, backhanding her to the floor with the gun barrel. Fara rolled to a stop then rose to one knee. Joshua placed the barrel against her forehead.

"I told you, if you didn't give us any trouble, I'd let you live. But you've been trouble and I've already got _one_ of the bombs; that's good enough." He pulled the trigger, causing an energy build up to glow at the barrel.

Fara lifted her eyes to the charging blaster. She knew that she only had seconds to live before he released the trigger. Her eyes flitted up to Joshua, looking for a way to evade his pointblank shot but her back was nearly pressed to a bulkhead. Her ears perked…

A soft tapping sound caused her ears to flicker. The silenced noise of a submachine gun clicked only a little louder than an analog clock. Joshua's eyes widened and he slumped back, pointing the blaster to the left. Fara dodged to the right just as he released the trigger, sending the lethal discharge into the wall. The horse slumped to the ground in a pool of blood.

Young Phoenix looked up in time to see a female Military Police guard reach for the lights. An aristocratic looking feline, close to Fara's age, stood in the doorway with a Cheshire grin. She flipped the light switch and her dilated eyes shrank. "If I didn't see that energy buildup from his blaster, I wouldn't have been able to see who ta shoot," she said. "I'm Miyu Lynx; you must be Fara Phoenix."

"What took ya?" Fara said with a nervous chuckle.

Miyu grinned, flipping the safety on her weapon. "Actually, I had to wait for radio dispatch to get me the gate code. It's a restricted area… top secret clearance and all that."

"Yeah," replied Fara. "They have classified test-level ordinance, here. I appreciate your timing."

Miyu hooked her thumb over her shoulder. Gesturing to the line of fighters outside the door, she said, "I've always wanted to fly one of those things. I went to the academy and all, and wound up Military Police. They said I was a little reckless as a pilot. I had the kill score, but they trusted me more on the ground."

"You wanna fly?" Fara relaxed. "You simply need a wing leader who will sponsor you to fly their wing. I know another girl who is looking to fly; you only need _three_ to make a functioning squadron."

"Are you offering?" Miyu's face lit up. She approached the fallen target and nudged his neck with the toe of her boot.

"It's an invitation to _try_ _out_, yes. The other girl's name is Fay, who will be taking her exam after Spring Break, but she's currently on Papetoon, visiting family this weekend. What's your duty schedule look like?"

Miyu knelt down and placed two fingers to the equine's neck to confirm his death. She lifted her other paw, taking a quick glance at her watch. "I'm off Thursday and Friday. I'm nightshift every other day of the week. Looks like this guy bit the dust; I'll need you to fill out a report."

"Thursday it is. I'll call Fay but I don't know if she'll be able to come back from Papetoon until the following week; I could use the company on the run. I have to test out a new fighter and they want me to handpick a few pilots to fly M-Class fighters on my wing. Can you keep a formation?"

Miyu gave a wan grin and said, "For a little while; until it gets boring. I'm good for Thursday. Am I not supposed to talk about your new fighter test?"

"Actually," Fara frowned, coming to her feet. She did her best not to look at Josh's body. "It _was_ top secret but two dynamic design features have already been stolen. So, it's no longer priority classified. They want to start running the tests now and get it combat ready."

"What's the fighter called?" Miyu asked.

"You know, I won't find out until tomorrow." Fara ran her paws up over her head, sifting her fingers through the short strands of headfur. "Give me your number and we'll talk about Thursday. Can we go outside to fill out these reports? I'm not trying to be around this body."

"Why's that?" Miyu asked. She nudged the corpse with her toe. "He's a metaphor for my stalled career… I'm just kicking a dead horse."

A painful expression came over Fara's face; she stepped over his deceased body, headed to the door and breathed a small sigh of relief upon passing through it. "He's sorta the guy I've been having dinner with."

"Aw, geeze, that's rough." Miyu's expression changed. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm a fighter pilot," Fara replied in a flat tone. "I don't get sick to my stomach and I've shot down bogies before. I just don't care to be around him, because I'm… pissed off at him." She turned around in the doorway then pointed at the marmoset. "He's alive …just stunned. You're going to have to put him into custody." She nodded back towards Josh, canting her head ever so slightly. "But that guy, he's my third dead body. It's just the first time I actually had dinner with the guy before he died. Some luck, huh?"

"Third?" Miyu tilted her head.

Fara leaned against the door frame. She lifted her right paw then placed it against her left elbow. The awkward stance told a story; Fara put words to the expressive posture. "I'm training for my mid-level engineering certification. If I'm going to trust my life to a machine, I want to know how it works, too." She paused, took a slow breath, then added, "There was a mechanical failure involving a jammed cockpit on the flight deck. My squad attempted to get to the… you know… to get the pilot out. Both the pilot, as well as a crew member, died in that mess. I had to file the reports on them; it was a little rough but I handled it. Dental records, identification tags… I had to get as close as some Forensic Specialists and I had to learn to put that disconcerting sensation behind me while doing my job. While it seemed like a traumatic thing to see at the time, I didn't know either one of them on a personal level."

"Yeah, c'mon outside," Miyu said, pulling a light pen out of her pocket, followed by a small tablet from her inside jacket pocket. "You need the fresh air. This is my second dead body, since joining the military. I can handle shooting down a plane, but, to be honest, I don't think soldiering would bother me much, either. I have this natural ability to separate the battlefield from the bedroom, on an emotional level. Also, I seem to be able to separate both violence and sex from my _social_ life. Anyhow, you can fill this out in the truck. I'll go get monkey boy and I've got my own report to write." She handed the pen and the tablet to Fara then turned back to the rest of the room. "I'll be out in a minute; I just have to document everything I see here, including the car out there, with that _thing_ in the trunk."

* * *

**Papetoon's small size** gave it properties that differed from Corneria. Fox found that the team seemed energetic, due to the lower gravity. He also found that Imperial Venom freighters were boldly running ship parts in the open merchant lanes. Slippy made good use of those parts, starting to repair the systems and damaged armor plating sections on the GreatFox, due to the rock which encased the ship.

Fox propped his feet up in his new favorite chair, chewing on the cap of an ink pen. His eyes raked down a column of numbers until he came to one that ended in multiple threes. He released the pen from his teeth, circled the number on the page then wedged the capped end back between his molars, chewing on it.

A knock came at the door and Fox cleared his throat. "It's open." The door swung ajar, grinding against the bedrock ceiling. The simplistic action left a fine dirt powder on the floor. Fox glanced over his sheet and offered Peppy Hare a smile. "Hey, Pep. I'm going over these manifest sheets," he said. "I've found a few freighters that will be coming through the area soon, that will have parts we need and supplies that _I_ think the town may be able to use. More of the same stuff as usual: Gravity Dumps, Hyper Twinkies, android parts to get our piloting droid to work and… general gear, including fuel cells. Friar Toad did a good job." Fox gave the rabbit a grin, referring to Slippy as the heavyset Friar, from a story about a band of thieves. Slippy looked the part for their gang. "What brings you by?"

"There's a new manifest for the Imperial Merchants coming in on the transport ship ending in "75" but we've been asked to do a favor on the side," said the rabbit, sitting down in the bed in the corner. The springs in Fox's mattress jutted up, pushing against the fabric. When Peppy sat down, they grunted in protest. "You actually sleep on this thing?"

McCloud took a moment to find the number on the current manifest sheet, which ended in seventy-five. He circled it then slid the pen back into the corner of his muzzle. "Sometimes," replied Fox. He shrugged then patted the chair he reclined in. "But sometimes I sleep on this. I know Falco made a huge stink about taking one piece of luxury furniture for each of us, but I'm really glad we actually listened to him that day. I love this chair. So what's the favor?"

Peppy shifted his weight, causing the springs to squeak, grunt and make a deep popping noise. "They abducted the Mayor's little boy, to try and force the town into paying increased taxes. The town is willing to pay us to rescue the kid."

Fox set the paper down on his belly and rubbed his chin, still chewing on the pen. "How much?"

Peppy didn't appear to take any joy in offering the amount, due to the involvement of a child. "The mayor is willing to float a loan at the bank and pay us _Fifty Thousand Credits_."

"We'll do it for twenty." Fox sighed, reaching up to rub at his eyes. "I love money and fifty thousand is really generous, but he doesn't have it to give. It's really no use having him owe the bank. We're going to steal the new manifest, _any_how. So, let's just take the opportunity to grab the kid, since they're going to be on the same freighter. What's your assessment?"

"You know that every time I say _it will be a picnic_, it's been easy," Peppy said, reaching to pull on his own ears. "But this _won't_ be easy. It may even come down to making a choice… the manifest we use to survive, _or_ …the kid. I've looked at the maps and drawn up some angles, because you know how I'm a hobbyist mapmaker…"

McCloud swished his tail out then dropped it over the side of the chair. "I'm listening."

"You'll have to do the job by yourself. I'm looking at the canyon to find the best section for attack." Peppy held his paws up, signaling for Fox to let him finish explaining. "Falco will use the Dragon Sniper rifle to make their ship _difficult to pilot_. He'll be up on the ridge and fire a shot into their bridge, to take out the helmsman. That will be his last round, so we'll need to find more ammunition for that thing if we plan to keep using it. Slippy will be raiding the back for supplies, while I give him cover. Then I'll have Slippy leave on his bike and I'll pull up alongside the exit hatch, with your bike in tow. If you have the kid with you, I'll keep your bike steady, beneath the hatch. You can jump on and we'll pull back. But I won't be able to help you find the kid or the Manifest."

"Our first pre-arranged rescue mission," Fox said, removing the pen from his teeth. He tapped the moist cap, gnarled with teeth marks and gooey with saliva, against his incisors then shrugged. "Twenty thousand credits will pay for the drill we'll need to dig out GreatFox."

"Falco's morale is shaky," Peppy explained. "Maybe you should go out on the town with him one night when we get that money."

Fox shook his head in disagreement and asked, "With _what_ money? Remember last time we went drinking? We overspent our grocery funds; the twenty thousand is for the drill."

"Fox," Peppy sighed. "Twenty thousand. Take a hundred credits with you one night. Falco really needs to let loose once in a while. The chemistry gets chaotic when you neglect the needs of your team. I can't _always_ mediate unless you listen to my advice. You've got to learn how to anticipate your team's needs, the way you would if they were your family."

Fox offered a slow nod. "Maybe you're right. I'm sure Slippy would want to go, too."

"Ask him, but I think he'd rather tinker. You know how he loves that. His father gave him some sort of _thing_ they used to work on, growing up. He's keeping it in the flight deck of the GreatFox, over in storage, but… I don't know what it is. All I know is, he's happy tinkering."

"Do you know _anything_ about this new …thing?" Fox's interest seemed piqued.

"He referred to it as _The Blue Marine_, but hasn't mentioned much else," Peppy replied. "But he's been sneaking over there a lot and working on this thing. Whatever it is, it's bigger than the hover bikes. But Slippy is an optimistic personality anyhow. I don't think he really needs to cut loose the way Falco does."

"Yeah, he's low maintenance." Fox looked down and reached a paw up to scratch behind his left ear. He looked back at Peppy, on the other side of the room, and shrugged. "Why is Falco the only one with strange social needs? I kinda like keeping this low profile, right now."

"He's a _good_ pilot," Peppy reminded. "I don't need to recapitulate to you that I mediate between the both of you, and sometimes between Slippy and Falco. It's true that Falco is the only one who has problems with anyone else but he's a good pilot and he's a friend. Plus he's good with the sniper rifle."

"I'm getting pretty good, myself," Fox noted.

"But you're the team leader, so you're going to be running this mission; leave Falco to shooting," Peppy said, adding, "And, for goodness sake, take him out to see a dancing squirrel and have a beer. It will help his morale and cure his boredom. I really think he just needs one night out with a buddy; we all have needs, Fox. I'd go but I'm working on my maps of the Canyon so we can pull this job."

Fox nodded. "I hear what you're saying, but let's stick with your first idea; take Falco out on the town _after _the job." He then changed the subject. "Have you heard from Vivian?"

"I spoke to her this morning," Peppy told him with a confirming nod. The rabbit smiled a bit. "Lucy is finally hopping now. Viv said she skips and hops every so often when she walks around the house. This weekend, I might stow away to Corneria and visit them."

"The proud papa," Fox said with a smile.

"That I am." Peppy grinned, moving to the edge of the mattress. "One would be erroneous to think otherwise. All right, I'm going to go and look at some diagrams. I want to make sure we're ready for this. The transport ship comes through this sector tomorrow morning at noon. I'll go let the guys know what my plan is and let them offer any ideas. I'll bring'em back to you and we'll figure out all the logistics."

"Sounds good," said Fox. "I have to finish this last manifest sheet for this week's shipments. I'll see you again before bedtime. We'll figure out all the finer points then."

"All right, sounds good," Peppy returned, coming to his feet. He went for the door, opened it, and ducked his head a bit, to keep from clipping his ears in the doorway. He shut the door behind himself, leaving Fox to chew on his pen and to make notations on the page.

* * *

Twenty hours later

**Fara Phoenix placed her paw on the hull** of the SFX Arwing Prototype. The sleek black paint job and orange painted engine carriage glistened. The carbon sparkle paintjob made her grin from ear to ear. She closed her eyes, rolling the velvet padding of her fingertips against the slender body. "This is the sleekest and _smallest_ plasma engine with wings I've ever seen. It's so _svelte_, yet, you're telling me that it's capable of Mach four _point two_ in the Cornerian Atmosphere? That's a lot of power under Corneria's atmospheric conditions."

Specialist Nelson Ethington offered the vixen a smile. The nerd seemed flustered, talking to a female, but knowing that she had a brain really drove him over the edge. The bandicoot offered a quick nod and said, "The NTD-FX1 Plasma Engine works on fuel cells. The engine begins one fifth of the length from the nose cone. You have an instrument cluster at the tip, nova storage in the belly and the rest is an engine. It extends to the booster. Essentially, you're correct, Miss Phoenix. You're flying a plasma engine with wings."

Fara opened her eyes, still caressing the side of the hull. "So, I heard the blaster canon, single shot, could upgrade during combat? Am I to understand that it has to be outfitted with the locks, multiple blasters and so-forth ahead of time? How can you upgrade your weapons _during _combat?"

"They're T&B-H1's, ma'am. This particular model already has high power duel blaster canons in the wings but they're power consumptive. You have to find a way to route or create power for them while in flight. I'll get more into that later. When Arspace Dynamics finishes this merge, and changes to _Space Dynamics LTD_, they're going to put the Arwing into mass production. However, the cost, per ship, is high. The military is still going to go with the hook-nose bird fighter. It's an insult to such fine technology. Nobody should put a price on the best light fighter in existence. Then again, it would take a fantastic pilot to handle an Arwing. It can be very grueling… demanding if you will… on the pilot's senses."

Fara nodded slowly. "It's a light fighter, all right. One high-yield ion particle canon shot would knock the wings off and overload the Plasma Engine polarity. It would blow up in a matter of minutes."

Nelson looked excited, nodding emphatically. He didn't _mean_ to be excited about the thought of losing a fighter, but Fara Phoenix had intelligence and the bandicoot took an immediate liking to her. "But the guidance control, auto leveling computer, G-Diffuser, and magnetic polarity stabilizer wingtips all work together to repel energy blasts capable of destroying most fighters. As long as you can stomach the disorienting sensation of having your world spin around you, you won't feel any gravity on your body. No stress at all. The ship spins fast and will auto-level at the end of the roll. It's nothing like the _old fashion_ barrel roll. This machine will roll six times in a precise rotation. You can do it without moving to the left or right, even in the slightest. It will roll perfectly, like a suspended pencil. It may seem disorienting to the senses at first but you don't feel the force of gravity. Plus, rolling creates a powerful magnetic relay anti-positron high polarity field. It will roll over in the time it takes to blink. As long as you blink during each roll, you would essentially never become disoriented."

Fara tilted her head a bit. "You create a magnetic force field around your fighter for an instant? Will that cause problems if you barrel roll in formation?"

Nelson Ethington reached down to pick lint off of his white jacket. "No, the hull is built with a special alloy that causes the field to travel through the metal, not into waves that emanate off of the ship. The field covers the metal, but will rise up a matter of fifty-five centimeters off the wingtips. The wings create a very low-yield field that repel the energy of an attack, which will _not _interfere with formation ships in proximity to you. The only problem is, if the energy attack is repelled at a certain angle, it may be deflected back towards your team, in close formation; thus a different angle on your inquiry – it may create slight problems to spin in formation if your team is under attack. However," said Ethington, beginning to pace a large circle around the Arwing. He spoke clearly, walking about it during his orientation. He had no idea that the Chief Test Pilot would be so attractive. "The magnetic field dampens positrons and electrons from most energy attacks, displacing and dispelling the positron load by means of absorption."

Fara put a paw out, placing her palm on his chest, to stop the scientist in his tracks. He seemed excited to have her paws on him. "So, Mister Ethington, you're telling me that if I'm flying over a populated city, take a shot but deflect it with a barrel roll, the energy round will hit the ground at a _fraction_ of the power it had before it collided with the Arwing?"

"Yes, but you'd have to be flying awfully low," he said. "Usually the energy fizzles out within a meter or two from the Arwing, after connecting with the field. This is a highly maneuverable machine. Using reverse '_retro-rocket'_ boosters, built into the wing and stabilizers, as well as the nose, will allow the craft to come to a stop, even _against_ the force of gravity. You could theoretically hover for small spurts of time. If you flew down towards a building, beneath you, the Arwing could hover, vertically aligned with said building. A pilot could line up their target and fire, then punch the afterburner and pull up. I would like to say that this ship can almost perform stop-motion turnabouts. Not quite, but it can, in comparison to the M-Class or Cornerian Standard Issue."

"You don't like the new Cornerian SI fighters, do you?" she asked.

Ethington rolled his eyes, placing his paws on his hips. "Why call a fighter, '_Standard Issue_' Miss Phoenix? It's a political blunder to give three thousand pilots the same ship. I believe in diversity. Let the pilot choose his own machine. Sometimes, the pilot may want a machine based on the type of mission he is about to perform. However, the Arwing is designed to _be_ every machine type possible. It can out maneuver all current light fighters. It can take infinite Ion Canon rounds, when barrel rolling – something a heavy fighter can't even do. It can be used as a long range bomber, if you load it with the right ordinance. It can be used to escort anything and it can be used as a patrol fighter. It's nimble enough to be used in stunt shows."

"As a pilot, I want to trust your machine," Fara said. "I want to fall in love with it. But one thing irks me."

Nelson licked his lips in apprehension. "What is that?"

"The cockpit is built in the center of an engine tube. Old fighters put the cockpit at the front of the ship. The M-Class broke that rule by mounting it high above the arse, nearly at the fulcrum, with the engine beneath. As a pilot, your power is in your butt. But now, Arwing pilots will look down the length of a long nose, seemingly sitting _inside_ their engine, at the back of the fighter. How did you guys manage it?"

"We built the engine in front of the cockpit for a center-of-balance feeling. When an old fighter does a barrel roll, it does this," he said, swooping his paw in a large "O" as if to show that the body of the entire fighter would not roll over, but travel around in a large, sloppy circle. Then he continued, telling her, "The Arwing rotates the way one might spin a short pencil between their forefinger and thumb. Its axis point never moves. It just flips over and rights itself. The nose cone won't move to the left, right, nor will it lift or lower a single degree. It acts fixed while inverting in the roll. We have the engine in front of you for proper weight. Thrust adds weight in the back, so when you're thrusting, you have the same amount of weight in front of you as you do behind you. We pipe the plasma in conduits _around_ and _beneath_ the cockpit, to the booster. The nozzles for your afterburning power will apply fuel directly into the belly of the _booster_, instead of needing the long tube of a turbofan like in the olden days. It's engineering genius."

"Proud of the machine, I see," Fara said. "Have you flown one?"

"That's the beauty of it," said Nelson. He explained, "I've not only flown one, I've done stunts in one and felt like an expert pilot. If this ship can make _me_ feel like an expert, then it will make an expert actually able to pilot like a demigod. You'll fly with your skill, not with your machine's flaws. Eventually, G-Diffusing will be used in other fighters, down the road. But the Arwing will be the pioneer. This machine can stop on a dime and you'll pick up _nine cents_ of change."

Fara offered silvery peels of laughter. "Now that's an adorable expression. Stop on a dime and pick up nine cents of change. I'm going to enjoy testing this machine."

"I hope so," said Nelson. "It's yours. The company has donated this one, painted Stealth Black with the orange highlights, to a Miss Fara Phoenix. The title is in your name, made out to the _Cornerian Chief Test Pilot_. You'll sign the contract when you return from your test. The only stipulation is, you cannot sell it."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Fara said, looking delighted. She placed her paws back against the side of the SFX Arwing Prototype. "Give me a tour of the ejection seat; I want to see how this thing works before I take it out."

"It's not a seat; it's the entire cockpit. The back end has an anti-gravity sail, which will bring you down at a fraction of the planetary gravity ratio, so that you always land with forty-five pounds of force, no matter what size planet you're landing on; the closer you come to the ground, the lighter it becomes. C'mon up to the top and I'll show you how it works."

* * *

**The wind billowed in Fox's cloak**, causing it to pulsate around him. His tail whipped about in the powerful gale. He stood up on the pegs of his hover bike, approaching the smoking freighter. Falco's shot had been right on, taking out both the Helmsman _and_ the radio operator in one blast, along with another bridge crewman. Now the freighter floated through the canyon without anyone capable of steering the machine.

The back freight doors, wide open, dragged the ground, leaving a groove in the dirt throughout the canyon floor. Fox reached up and put his paws on the hatch lever. Peppy, using a tractor mount, towed Fox's bike, keeping it steady while the vulpine pilot attempted to open the hatch. He tightened his arms and chest, turning the wheel lever to the left. After three full turns, the hatch opened. The wind created a dull howling noise in the open hatch. Fox put his feet up on the seat, then on the handlebars, trying to reach up to the metal rungs on either side of the small round entrance.

He pulled his body up, arched his back, then angled his feet into the hatch, sliding into the freighter. Once inside, Fox withdrew a small hand blaster and a flashlight. He crossed one wrist over the other, holding the flashlight in his left paw, the gun in his right.

Fox maneuvered deeper into the freighter, staying weary of possible crew members. His eyes flitted from left to right, staying alert. Fox reached up and touched his helmet communicator's send button. "Slippy, I'm in. How are things on your end?"

"I made it too, Fox!" announced Toad on the other end of the line. "Peppy is coming through the hatch now. I used a sleeping agent to take out the guards; we're going to start unloading the supplies now."

"Roger, stay alert," Fox said in warning. He released the button on his helmet and re-crossed his wrists, keeping the flashlight over his blaster, pointing them together, down the metallic corridor. The ship shuttered, brushing against the uneven Papetoon surface. Without the pilot, the computer could only do so much to keep the ship level; it couldn't automatically pull up for uneven sections.

"Fox, this is Peppy," exclaimed a voice over his communicator. "According to my calculations on the maps I've done, the canyon becomes a series of sharp turns several kilometers ahead. We have about fifteen minutes, as of right… _now_. Unless they have a large enough crew to pull out a secondary night shift pilot or unless their captain is a credible helmsman…" Peppy's voice cut out.

Falco's voice interrupted. "That's not going to happen," he said, adding, "I put a hole through both the helmsman _and_ the helm controls. The panel is on fire and it's all they can do to take care of the blaze, right now. I'm watching them from my scope on the next ridge. It doesn't appear they can stop their ship without shutting down the engines. I suggest that ole' Foxie disables the engineer."

Peppy's voice returned. "Fine. Fox, take out the engineer and sabotage the controls so they can't shut down. Anyhow, in a little more than fourteen minutes, they'll crash. We have to be done in thirteen minutes. Let's aim for ten."

"Copy," Fox whispered into his communicator. He stopped at the end of the corridor and squinted at the Venom scrawling on the wall. "Let's see… that word is _department_," he muttered aloud. "I'm _almost_ positive that says… _engines_." He headed to the left, away from the engines, towards crew's meeting room. A door at the end of the hall opened and he found himself in a room with a table and four men. Twelve chairs lined the table, leaving the room two-thirds empty. His lower jaw parted and, with a vituperative phrase, he cursed his luck.

They scrambled for their sidearm but Fox, having his already drawn, opened fire. Blaster shots rang out and blew chairs away from the table. The four men dropped beneath the gray furnishing; they went for their holsters. Fox leapt onto the furniture and landed on the very edge. His weight caused the table to vault upwards in a vertical position. He leaned over the left end and opened fire which easily dispatched two of the four lizards.

The remaining two opened fire; Fox ducked back behind the standing table. The fake wood veneer began to bubble from the heat of blaster shots. He knew it wouldn't last as a shield for much longer. McCloud shoved the table forward, bringing it down onto his attackers. The table attack stunned them both and Fox dove to the right. He dropped to the floor, landing on his hip with his arms extended. He opened fire and stuck the third lizard then shifted his paws, opening fire on the fourth. The remaining enemy darted out from beneath the table and used his feet to kick it onto its side. Fox slung a chair at the men then dove behind the flat shield-like furniture once more.

The lizard powered up his blaster, counting to ten, and fired at the large furnishing. It exploded into splinters but Fox wasn't behind it. The lizard stood up and held his weapon outstretched. He carefully approached the table's remains, which lay on its side; he peered over it but didn't see the Cornerian vulpine. A hole graced the center, like a rectangular donut.

The lizard kicked the table over; it flopped onto the surface, with the legs sticking up into the air. He panned his gun to the left, swiveling his head to the right. His eyes narrowed and he sniffed at the air. "Where are you, Cornerian?" he asked in a semi coherent form of McCloud's language. "We lizards are the superior combatant species! Come and accept your fate!"

Fox dropped from a conduit in the ceiling, wrapping his arms around the lizard's neck. With his weight, he pulled the reptile to the ground, shouting, "But we foxes are jumpers!" Fox recovered from the pounce without missing a beat; he leapt back, aimed his blaster and opened fire.

The side of his enemy's head burst from the blaster contact. The fragmented skull shattered and the flesh vaporized beneath the beam, leaving a splotch of cooked gooey matter on the floor. A startling lack of blood, from the heat of the energy weapon, made it far easier for Fox to stomach the sight. He frisked the body and pulled out a small plastic card.

McCloud examined the card then smiled. "Eureka!" He glanced over at the other bodies then his attention returned to the card in his paw. "A security clearance card. Geeze, I hope it's not PIN encoded." He slid the card into his pocket and continued out through the rear door. Whatever traces of disappointment Fox felt about not finding the engine room became replaced with elation. A small desk sat at the back of the office with a black box on the corner.

Holstering his blaster, Fox approached the safe and used the security card to open the box. The safe clicked and the handle seemed to flinch. He pulled the door open and withdrew the manifest from inside. "They're keeping it locked up now," he said to himself. "Not good enough, guys. You'll have to try harder to hide your shipping manifest in the future." Fox stuffed the pages into his jacket and zipped the pocket shut. He reached to his headset and touched a button. "I've got the Manifest. That's a third of the mission, right there."

McCloud lifted his head and smiled. His eyes moved over the cables in the ceiling. He followed them out of the office and they split off into two directions. One junction ran towards the conduit he'd used to get the drop on the lizard. The other ran towards the hallway. He picked up his pace, headed towards the central corridor and followed the lines in the ceiling towards the Engine room.

A flicker of his ears; he identified the sounds of a freighter's engine nearby and stopped at the door. Placing the flashlight into his teeth, he withdrew a single thermal detonator and primed the yield control with his thumb. "Falco, what's our status?" His voice sounded muffled, speaking over the flashlight.

The avian's voice came over the communicator, crackling slightly. "You must be near the engines, because you sound distorted."

"I'm outside of engineering."

Falco replied, "You've still got time. Now that we're out of Dragon Sniper ammunition, we're going to have to use our shoulder-mounted missile launchers. I've been dying to break those babies out."

"I bet you are; Fox out." He closed the communication line then mashed his thumb into the activator. The detonator began to pulsate in his palm. The door to engineering opened and a lanky chimp stepped out, face to face with McCloud. Fox blinked then jerked his right paw up, bringing the gun beneath the monkey's mouth.

In unison to the attack, Fox hurled the small grenade over the chimp's shoulders, into the engineering section. Without giving the issue another notion of thought, he drew his leg back and planted his foot into the engineer's stomach. With a mighty push, the chimp sailed back through the doorway and the metallic door slid shut. The detonator exploded; the blast caused the door to bend in Fox's direction.

Fox ran back down the hall with his paw on his communicator helmet. "Engines are disabled." The ship jolted hard, causing Fox to stumble. The flashlight tumbled from his muzzle and rolled down the deck, indicating that the ship began to pitch. The angle variance seemed to overcorrect itself and the flashlight rolled back towards him, followed by the ship jerking again.

"This is Falco; you guys are speeding up. Get your butts out of there. I knew I should have been included in this mission; you jerks are getting all the damn excitement and I'm sitting on a ridge!"

Peppy's voice joined into the chorus of communication. "Hush, Falco! Your aim was an important equation! If you want to get in on the excitement, get on your hover bike and meet us in the canyon. Slippy and I have our hands full with guards; you'll have to help Fox with his extraction!"

Falco groaned and asked, "What about Fox's bike? It's with yours, at the back of the ship!"

"So!" Peppy replied, "You have enough room for a rider on the back, if you're careful! Remember, the hostage is the priority, now! Falco, we're speeding up, so the plans have changed because our time table is different! Get your tail feathers down here!"

"I'm on my way!" Lombardi exclaimed. Out on the ridge, he boarded his bike and took it vertical, down the precipice. The aerodynamic falcon leaned back on the hover-bike to keep it from flipping forward. He continued down the slope of the rock-face then hunched over his handlebars just as the bike evened out at the bottom of the canyon.

Meanwhile, McCloud ran down the hallway. His search for the hostage turned into frustration. Fox opened the next door he came to, wedged his paws in and forced the sliding metal door over its track. He stopped for a moment, looking about in wonder. "Holy crap." Fox dropped his blaster and approached one of the many weapons that lined the walls. "It's a veritable armory!" He had no idea that this corridor was only one of many on the ship.

McCloud slid his paws beneath a submachine gun mounted on the wall. He lifted it from the peg and opened the magazine. "And it's loaded; score!" He pulled back the slide and removed a strap from the wall. Connecting the strap to the weapon, Fox shouldered his new gun then reached for an assault rifle on the next hook.

"Now I'm feeling lucky," he said beneath his breath. Fox picked up his blaster pistol and wedged it into his belt then continued through the munitions corridor and into the next room. Several guards stood up from their stations, reaching for their blasters. Fox strafed to the left, opening fire with the assault rifle.

The rapid-fire volley of ammunition blew coffee mugs off of counters and sent scrap metal into the air. The rifle peeled the metal sheets from the tops of the electronic workstations. Lizards scattered, going for cover. Fox kicked a chair out of his way, moving along the wall. The chair lurched into the air and unceremoniously landed at the center of the room.

Just as a lizard stood up over a counter to open fire, the ship bucked again. Fox saw the opponent lose their balance and brace themselves on the computer terminal. Meanwhile, the chair slid back down the aisle, returning to Fox. He gave it another swift kick, but this time, aimed the chair towards the lizard.

The reptile dropped to the floor and the chair sailed over him, crashing into the next terminal. He stood up again with his gun drawn but Fox, ready and waiting, squeezed the trigger. The rifle bucked in his paws, sending a triumvirate of hot shells into the lizard's head. McCloud winced, seeing the reptile's head burst into a scarlet splash. The body tumbled backwards and the bloody remains of its head left a smeary trail against the next workstation back.

Fox paused for a moment. His eyes soaked in the grim mosaic and his heart began to beat wildly. The carnal sight evoked a visceral emotion in his chest; his blood felt hot and pure. A trickle of perspiration trailed down the side of his face, matting a bit of his facial fur. It became difficult to tear his eyes from the gore.

Another lizard jumped up from his cover behind a computer station. Fox threw his body to the left, into an open janitorial closet. Now at an angle, they could do little more than pin him down. He reached up to his helmet and pressed in on a button.

"I'm… This is Fox. I'm stuck in a tight spot. I have a few guys with pistols and, I…" He trailed off. His mind flashed back to the sight of the bloody splatters on the terminal.

"Peppy here… You okay? Hold it together just a bit longer, Fox."

Fox flinched at the reverie. "I wasted a guy; he's just a stain on the walls and floor, now."

"Listen, you're at battle. You're here to rescue the innocent and in defending yourself, you're defending Papetoon." Peppy's warm voice and empathetic tone made Fox forget that the old man was fighting for his own life at the back of the freighter. "You're not killing people. It's just like shooting down fighters, Fox. You're dispatching _targets_. You have to detach yourself, emotionally, or you risk losing your sanity."

Falco's voice chimed in. "This isn't about yer humanity, Fox. This is about a kid, almost eighteen years old, fighting armed, trained soldiers who get rich and fat pretending to be merchants. You're not killing men; you're killing shock troops who want you dead. Why? Because you stand between them and their greed, man."

Peppy's voice returned over the communication line. "Do what your father did, Fox. Stow your emotions on the battlefield. Never give up; trust your instincts. Your _instincts_, Fox. He said he could always feel them trying to break free and control him. Let them. Just take a deep breath and give in to them. If you don't trust your instincts, _you… will… die_."

Fox remained in the closet, pressing himself into the back to evade the angled gunshots that hit the wall nearby. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and pictured the lizards as cyborgs. In the mental image, all of them had a gun pointed at him. He gritted his teeth then opened his eyes. His gaze, glazed over with a distant expression on his face, seemed to pierce the weapons in his paws. Another deep breath…

His ears flickered. Somewhere in the background, two empty energy cells hit the ground; the gunshots paused. Fox darted out of the closet, brought his rifle to bear and pulled the trigger. The lizards, still reloading, glanced up in time to have high power rounds scream through their scaly flesh. Two of the three remaining soldiers lurched back from the energy-powered shells that ripped through their bodies.

Fox continued to spray the room. He panned the weapon from left to right while making a mad dash for the opposite end of the area. The door at the far end swished open and a line of soldiers in full combat gear barreled through. Fox ran at them, drawing the weapon back towards the men before him. Without so much as a thought, he unloaded the clip.

Part of his conscious thoughts returned to the blue-furred vixen, again. His glazed eyes reflected the orange and red flashes of his weapon, bucking in his paw. It gave his soft green hues a distorted sun-swept crimson glow. The weapon clicked on empty as the last body crumpled to the floor. McCloud pitched the gun into the wall; it slammed against the metal bulkhead.

Fox stepped through the door, drew the submachine gun and tapped the trigger. An armored soldier at the end of the room reeled back against the wall and slumped to the floor. Fox could see the man's eyes, which remained open. He continued into the room and lifted the machine gun, still strapped to his shoulder, aiming at the man's head.

"Help us!" The cry came from Fox's immediate right. He turned his head and blinked at the sight of a teenage woman, canine with white fur, huddled close to a little boy. He looked back to the guard on the ground then lowered the gun.

"Weak fool," the guard cackled, reaching for his side arm. The soldier lifted his blaster at arm's length.

Fox, the faster of the two, shifted his hip and drew his leg out. His foot connected with the weapon's barrel, just as the guard mashed the trigger. The pistol fired and the round ricocheted off of Fox's helmet communicator. Fox followed through with the kick, sending the pistol across the room. His left paw moved to his belt, withdrawing the secondary blaster. He placed both of his weapons, the personal blaster and his submachine gun, against the guard's head.

Swiveling his head towards the brig, Fox said, "Open the cell or I'll do it for you after I pull the trigger."

The guard reached to his jacket and pulled a card key from the breast pocket. Fox cut his gaze towards the card, smiled, and struck the guard in the face with his blaster. The soldier slumped forward and Fox replaced the pistol in his belt then snatched the card from the lizard's grip.

He approached the laser bars, looking first to the girl then to the little boy. He recognized her uniform and said, "Academy pilot? What are you doing here?" Fox waved the security card in front of a magnetic sensor; the bars disappeared.

The spaniel lifted the young boy in her arms and approached McCloud. "I'm Fay." A rather feminine red bow sat perched upon her head. "I'm on Spring Break; thought I'd make trouble on Papetoon. What are _you_ doing here?"

Fox gawked at her for a moment. He blinked, shook away his stupor then said, "Getting you both out of here. Can you shoot a gun?"

"I shoot like I fly. I'm pretty good if I do say so myself."

"Good," said Fox. He jerked his head towards the door. "Follow me." He glanced back at the _unconscious_ guard. Several rounds scored a successful torso hit but the armor did its job. He turned towards the door and led them back towards the armory. Fox selected a medium powered rapid-shot blaster and handed it to her.

He reached for the small boy and said, "Hand him here; I want you to aim before you shoot. If you miss, you'll be no good in a fight." He pulled the youth onto his hip and craned his head towards the next door. "Follow me. Had I known there would be more than one hostage, I would have changed my escape plans." Fox carried the child with the girl in tow, towards the hallway. McCloud followed the sound of the wind, back towards the escape hatch and pointed towards it. "Ladies first. Falco should be out there. Hop on the back of his hover bike."

"What about you?" she asked.

"Just go." He turned back towards the hallway, covering her escape. She climbed through the open hatch, gazing down at a surprised blue-feathered avian in a wind-tossed poncho. Fay climbed out and dropped down onto Lombardi's bike, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Fox peered down the left and right aisles of an intersection then groaned; he saw more troops approaching. Falco's voice came over the dented headset. "More than one, Fox? This is a huge wrench, Captain Hero! Did you get the boy? You know you're almost out of time!"

"I've got company, get her out of here!" Fox replied. He then shouted, "Peppy, come in! I'm going to need you to be my designated driver, old man!"

"I'll see what I can do," Peppy responded over the line. Fox continued to back his way down the hall. Gunshots rang out and one of the rounds struck Fox with enough force to bring him to the ground. The little boy spilled out of his arms and tumbled across the deck.

Fox groaned, trying to get to his knees. He lowered his head to check the pain in his abs. A horribly disfigured blaster pistol rested in his belt. It took the bullet but left a bruise on his pelvis. He glanced over his shoulder and got to his feet just in time to see one of the lizards collect the child. The two other soldiers had their weapons trained on Fox; small red laser sighting dots hovered over his torso.

"This rescue operation is over," said the soldier with the child. "And it's time for you to die, vulpine."

* * *

A/N: _Ohnoes! Drama and suspense! A cliffhanger! What ever shall we do? Will Fox survive unscathed? Will the little kid be rescued? Will they escape the runaway freighter before it collides with sharp turn further ahead in the canyon? Will Falco get to drink a beer and see an exotic dancer before boredom claims his sanity?! All this, and more, in the next episode of REFLECTIONS OF FOX MCCLOUD! Same Fox time! Same Fox Channel… err, Story! _

_By the way, I know I've not mentioned this before, but I need to. You guys remember the writer who went by the moniker "_Destructor_"? He did a re-write story based off of the StarFox Comics. His story was called "StarFox: Phoenix from the Ashes." Well, he's been helping me to edit out small mistakes in my last several chapters. He would comment on each chapter and we would discuss it. With Chapter 4, I actually wrote it differently. But, I hated it. I rewrote the entire chapter and expanded on it, going in a different direction. I resent the piece to Destructor and he told me what he liked from the last version and what he liked about the new version. _

_I hope you hardcore StarFox fan readers remember Destructor! He's a good writer and has learned a lot about style and technique as of late. He reminds me when I start getting sloppy to get rid of certain aspects, like the "Something, something…" sentences. At least, that's what he calls it. Heh. He also helps other awesome writers, offering advice, comments or just a fresh eye to find small mistakes. FoxMerc also considers Destructor a pal. I'm lucky to have his help. I just wanted to make mention of that!_

_-Kit _


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter -5-  
Political Tension

**"Negotiations?"** roared Andross. "Are you taking me for a fool?" said the ape, glaring at the screen. "I'm afraid this is _your_ doing, Prime Minister. And what did you expect from me, you presumptuous bumpkin?"

The man on the screen recoiled, gawking. "This has to end, Doctor Andross. War is not the answer. We expelled you to a _peaceful_ planet!" exclaimed the Cornerian Prime Minister. The Great Dane, looking regal in his business suit, approached the camera of the video monitor. "You were creating havoc, not to mention implementing scientific gadgets of war. You were even under investigation for murder when we simply decided to offer you the expulsion option."

"So good of you," Andross erupted, throwing his arms into the air. "I'd rather die in a capsule in space than to die from _lethal injection_! Wait, Corneria doesn't do that anymore! They put you in space to _suffer_! Do you _really_ think I landed on Venom in that capsule, you …_child_? And, to think, it _must_ have been a miracle that I didn't _burn up_ in the atmosphere! You twit! I negotiated my _own_ release after being picked up by space pirates! The boy simply wanted money and I knew where to get him some! The young man has done a great deal for me; he's even sacrificed an eye, while working for me. Corneria… to claim you were 'sending me to Venom on _purpose',"_ he muttered with a smirk. Andross' tone seemed to drip with sarcasm. He threw his arms into the air again and said, "You're an imbecile!"

The Prime Minister squashed his exasperation, took a deep breath and sighed. "We're looking to bridge the gap and relax the tensions between Corneria and Venom! You're only instigating a war between our people!"

"Détente, _indeed_," said Andross. He added, "There is no such thing as_ our people_, Prime Minister. There is Corneria and now there is Venom. My munificence has been boundless, thus far. I've provided you with your life. But now, I do believe I'm running dry on patience. Do say _hello_ to my Armada, when my ships converge on your planet."

"Doctor Andross!"

"Prime Minister, _you_ may address me as _Emperor_."

Andross closed the channel. "Corneria's Government has quite the surprise waiting for them, when the nerve gas phials are up-ended on the Capital…" He turned to his desk, lifted his large hand and ran his fingers through the wiry locks of white hair. After a moment to pause and think, he opened another channel to the Rear Admiral, on the front line. An ape's face filled the main viewer. Andross cleared his throat, turning back to the view screen. "Admiral, please report. I seek good news on the advancement of Imperial Forces."

"The front line is secure, Emperor!" said the smaller ape. "Macbeth's supply facility foundations are laid and the train lines have been erected. The largest supply base in Lylat now sits on the Macbeth surface. We're mining the hollow belly for ore and have set up four underground operations. Bolse is secure, Area 6 is fully operational. All that remains is Fortuna and Katina. We have a force ready for the attack on _both _planets."

"I don't want to telegraph our push for Corneria," Andross said. "I want them to sweat." He moved around his desk and settled into the chair. "Corneria is still offering political pleas. Let them pray for diplomacy a little longer. How far is our progress on Zoness? And tell me of Sector-X."

"On the Zoness line, we're now pumping enough fossil fuels to service our entire fleet. Sector-X is nearly ready. We've begun assembling the arms and body of your Artificial Intelligence weapon." The Admiral saluted.

"That project is top secret." Andross sneered, drawing his hand into a fist. "Do not speak of it so openly. I need intelligent commanding officers. Loose lips destroy ships. Your ship is at the mercy of a simple control panel in my office. Speak so bluntly again and I _will_ begin pressing buttons, Admiral. It takes a combination of only two presses to detonate your command vessel."

"My apologies, Emperor!" He quickly changed the subject; however his speaking seemed to come at a hurried rate. "The Sol project is nearly complete. Finally, Papetoon is secure, but our merchants have come under occasional attack by raiders. We've put out a bounty and may exercise mercenaries."

"The squabbles of thieves do not concern me. I do not care; you know to tighten the security. However, I do hold a particular interest in a ship hidden on that planet."

"Sir?" The admiral appeared to be confused.

"I want the cargo of a dreadnaught known as GreatFox. There are personal effects that I wish to possess, belonging to Vixy Reinard. Bring these items to me, undamaged." Andross placed his hands upon his hips, then sighed and folded them across his chest. "I understand that it is entirely possible raiders may have dismantled this ship. Track it down and confirm, Admiral. Round up the pirates and execute them."

"We've narrowed it down to one group, led by one man."

Andross groaned. "Your problems are _not_ my problems; however, Admiral, _MY_ problems _are_ your problems. Take care of this _Desperado_ and get me my damned ship, with its personal cargo intact!" Andross closed the channel and, due to his frustrations, rolled his eyes. He turned to an aid at the door and shook his head. "Prepare my yacht. Inform the crew that I will be attending to business; first on Titania," he said, thinking of the bio-weapon he wished to release, to keep people away from his hidden research. He knew if he could use Titania as a staging platform to repair Venom, that he could achieve his side projects with only minor delay. He cleared his throat and added, "Then I wish to meet someone at the base under construction in Sector-X. Have you received the deed to Sargasso?"

"It's been received, Emperor!" The lizard saluted.

"Excellent. We'll use it as part of the payment in bargaining with Mister O'Donnell, for his services. Read me my agenda."

"For which project, Emperor?" The lizard reached into his coat pocket, withdrawing a small booklet.

Andross took on a sullen expression. "Actually, I wish to add a project. Begin construction at the Sector-X base on a large crystal chamber, usable in detaining a person. I wish to begin running tests on some projects concerning the occult."

"My liege?"

"Specifically, I wish to disinter the body of Vixy Reinard. Once she is exhumed from Corneria, we'll take her to a planet at the edge of Lylat, called Sauria. I've had a vague interest in the restorative technology studied by the Krazoa, several thousand years ago. If I can bring her back to life…" He immediately trailed off, into a clearing of the throat. "If this war goes badly, I would want to move my operation out of Lylat. Perhaps take some time to begin building again. But if I were ever on my deathbed, I would want to go to Sauria and study the lost Krazoa regenerative technology. I will be successful, even if it takes finding the purest person in Lylat as a _medium_."

"…Emperor?" The lizard began writing in the book but seemed confused by the strange command.

"You have your addition to the list; leave me." Andross slumped back at his desk with a sigh. "Send my sister in law."

The lizard nodded then left. Minutes later, Caroline entered the room.

"I've been thinking about your tarot reading. It was a very intense session and I wish to know how you've obtained the future through paper cards. Please, sit Caroline."

The female ape took a seat and sighed with a shake of her head. "Your brother is on his death bed, I'm afraid. Furthermore, our agent has failed to receive the stolen prototype bomb from Corneria. Our sources say that our best chance to obtain it lies with a fennec vixen test pilot. In her free time, she travels with her family. She's been a difficult target, due to the fact that her family runs a transportation and freight business. We can't get any mercenaries to take the job because the family is rich enough to pay off anyone seeking to start trouble. The rest of the time, their daughter is on base, surrounded by Cornerian Military security."

"I don't care who this girl is," Andross replied. "I don't care who her family is. Organize a group to gather information. When the time is right, we'll send in a squad of soldiers to abduct her from a family ship. Do _not_ make another attempt on her while she's on Corneria; I do not wish to draw repeated attention to our endeavor to acquire their new weapon. When you have her schedule, follow her on an off-duty day; attack her father's ship and take the girl. Do not hurt her, we'll need her alive to torture. When we receive the access codes, we'll move for the prototype ordinance. Now, let's speak about my tarot reading."

"Why must we go over this again?" asked Caroline. "And I did more than a simple card reading on you, _Emperor_. I did a series of long, drawn out séances to conclude your future, as well as that of your brother."

"And _his_ fate?" Andross leaned back in his chair. "You never mentioned his fate."

"He will die soon." She looked down then closed her eyes. "I cannot see my own fate. But I have a feeling I may join him one day. As for your fate, you live a long life but it will not be an easy path to the victory of power that you wish to achieve." She opened her eyes and continued. "You will ultimately lose Venom. You will be pushed from Lylat and be dead to the galaxy. I've learned that you will struggle to adapt, living among a race of telepaths. But your fate forks two ways from this point. The path of least resistance shows that they will provide you with what you need but it may spell their doom; you will inadvertently seal their fate. You will return to Sauria, here in the Lylat System. Not to bring back your dead crush, but to revive _yourself _in her place. Utilizing technology of the ancients and the modern technologies of today, you will revive yourself, even if it requires the planet to be destroyed in order to save yourself. A struggle will ensue. You will be put into stasis. You will awake from this stasis, but will _die_ without the help of _my_ son. From there, you _will_ exact your revenge but it will take time. I can see no further than the success of your revenge and I cannot predict the details of how you will exact this revenge. I only know that the act will bring a great deal of peace to your heart and soul. I know nothing more than that."

"You cannot see my death?"

"You will continuously cheat death," she said. "You will use your research to cheat, you will use Sauria to cheat and you will awake from stasis, feeling young and strong. But if you do not help my son, he will not be able to help you and you _will_ die. I know he's a whiny boy, but protect him because he is your last hope, to revive you from stasis. Provided you take that fork in life, you will _not_ die. If you do not make wise choices, you will be destroyed."

"Very well. But this is only the path of one possible outcome?"

"Correct," she said. "The attention you've given to my clairvoyance is appreciated, Emperor.

"I appreciate your honesty. I don't really believe in this sort of thing, but all your past predictions have been correct, and aided in the theft of Cornerian Intelligence. Waving a pendulum over certain cards has helped us to deduce which Cornerian military leader could be bought, allowing you to bring us far more success. I trust you."

"Thank you, Sir. I have a sick husband to attend to. I must go."

Andross nodded, folding his hands. "Thank _you_, Caroline. Give him my wishes for a speedy recovery."

"I told you, his fate reads his imminent death. I've told him; he's accepted it. Andrew's father will die before the week ends." She stood up, leaned to kiss her brother-in-law's cheek then departed the room.

* * *

_At that very moment…_

"**It's time to die,"** the lizard said, backing away with the child. The reptile held a gun trained on young McCloud, whose frayed red cape billowed around him from the wind of the escape hatch. Two other lizards stood in the intersection with their weapons trained on Fox. The red laser dots danced about on his torso.

"Why haven't you pulled the trigger yet?" asked Fox with a smirk. Truly, the vulpine pilot feared for the end. However, the knowledge of joining his family seemed to comfort him. All the same, a perplexed look crossed his face, wondering why he still lived.

"I simply required a moment," said the lizard. He gestured with his gun, still holding the little boy in his other arm. Fox followed the direction of the pointed weapon, seeing a security camera on the ceiling. The lizard reached his gun-hand above his face and used his wrist to hold a communicator earpiece against the side of his head. After waiting for orders from his superior the lizard began to cackle.

"What's so funny?" Fox asked. He narrowed his gaze, keeping his paw on the submachine gun which hung at his hip.

The lizard smirked, canting his head a bit. "YOU are the one who attacked the Imperial security at the airport?"

Fox shifted his weight, lifting his ears. He could hear the scream of a stressed hover bike engine, over-worked from towing the weight of another bike at a high speed. "You should have seen the faces of your buddies," McCloud said. "We tore them apart while rescuing the civilians. And we rescued _every last one_ of them, too."

The lizard's expression changed to a cold glare. "You won't be rescuing _this_ child, Fox McClown." The lizard hissed, turning his gun on the boy's head. The toddler struggled but the lizard kept him subdued with a tight grasp. "I'm Captain Adler; I'm a Venom Black Operatives agent. You'll not have a chance against me as I am a trained combat operative. I will not feel guilt or remorse in the death of this hostage. His murder will be on _your_ soul, Cornerian. Your 'hero's legacy' ends here, before it even begins. This is for my men at the airport!" The lizard shouted, "KILL HIM!"

The ship shifted and a screeching noise filled their ears. Fox reached up, cupping his palms over his ears. He stumbled onto his tail, watching as the lizards struggled between the noise and the shifting freighter. An explosion, coming from the engine room, caused a wall at the end of the hall to burst. A fireball rushed into the corridor, causing the two gunners to scatter. Fox seized the opportunity to react and got to his feet.

He put the front of his boot into a grooved section of the bulkhead and launched himself upwards. His paws closed around a metallic tile in the ceiling and he kicked his legs forward. The weight displacement caused the tile to loosen. It snapped from its clamps and came down upon Adler's head. The lizard dropped his weapon and staggered hard to the right.

Fox reached out, plucking the child from the lizard's scaly hands then used his foot, giving the reptilian officer a swift kick in the sternum. The freighter tilted. "You hold the rank of Captain, huh?" He watched the lizard slide down the hallway on his back. Fox backpedaled, towards the hatch. "I have it on good authority that this ship is about to go down; from what I understand, a good captain always goes down with the ship, even if you're army, not navy. It's all the same to me. See you in hell, buddy." Fox turned to the hatch and handed off the child to Peppy. The good natured lapin pilot kept a tight course, using his hover bike to tow Fox's bike on the other side of the escape hatch.

The rabbit used his left paw to steer the bike, reaching up with his right paw to take the child. The ship bucked again, causing Fox to stumble. He fell away from the hatch and disappeared into the ship. Peppy shouted McCloud's name but the voice trailed off the deeper Fox slid down the slanted hallway. A scaly arm draped around his neck and something cold came against his ear.

Adler hissed against the side of Fox's face. "You may have pulled off a _last minute rescue_, but at least I'll have the pleasure of killing you myself!" The arm around Fox's neck tightened and the barrel of the blaster grinded against the side of his head. The lizard pulled the trigger but the gun spluttered. The blaster discharge fizzled out, causing a weak blue spark to flutter at the barrel. Fox felt the shock, but it hurt no less than receiving one from static electricity.

"Dammit!" shouted the lizard. He pulled the trigger again with a similar response.

Fox inhaled deeply and his eyes widened. He pushed his elbow against Adler's stomach. "Looks like your engine core burst!" McCloud grunted, using his paw to strike the reptile's torso two more times, in an attempt to break free of the grip.

Adler hurled the blaster down the hall. It hit the floor near the hatch and slid all the way back towards them. Fox jerked his head back, catching the lizard in the face. "Here, let me show you a gun that _will_ work!" McCloud shouted, reaching for his submachine gun. He jammed the barrel against the soldier's torso and pulled the trigger. At pointblank range, a three-shot burst connected with the lizard's armored vest. The power of the connection knocked Adler to the floor. Fox gasped deeply, able to breathe again.

"Fool," the lizard hissed. He brought his leg out, catching Fox in the hip. The ship listed hard and the two slid down the floor, crumpled against the wall adjacent to the escape hatch. "Our engines would have nothing to do with it!" said the lizard. "And you're a moron if you think your rounds will pierce my body armor!" Adler made a fist, striking McCloud across the side of his face. He then reached for the gun at Fox's side and pulled on it.

Fox felt the ship beginning to shift again. He reached down and unclasped the harness. Adler jerked the gun free and turned it towards McCloud, just as the ship tilted onto its side. Fox reached up, grasping the hatch with his paws. The freighter rolled ninety degrees onto its side. The hallway became a metallic pit. He watched the lizard plummet down the corridor. The submachine gun fired, causing bullets to ricochet all over the metal bulkheads. McCloud winced and lowered his ears at the sound. Miraculously, not a single round struck him. He lowered his eyes, towards his feet, and watched Adler disappear into the void.

"Yes it does, you idiot." Fox shook his head. "It creates a low-yield electromagnetic pulse, just large enough to take out everything in this hallway."

Fox hung from the hatch, his feet dangled beneath his body. Metal screeched against granite in protest as the ship, now lying on its side, continued to move forward in the canyon's belly. Fox tightened his arms then, with great care, pulled himself upwards. His muzzle lifted; his chin, then his head passed through the hatch. He strained with squinted eyes, and then pulled the rest of his body upwards. Once he could see the sky, his left arm lurched forward to grasp for the metal handles on the outside of the hull. His fingers curled around the handles on the left and right side of the hatch. He continued to struggle until he managed to pull himself through the opening. He arched his back then kicked his legs in an attempt to get himself free.

Fox canted his head towards the front of the ship, the wind rustling the fur of his face. He squinted his eyes, kneeling in the hatch then his jaw parted. Up ahead, he could see that the canyon curved naturally to the right; without a pilot at the helm, the freighter would never survive the sharp turn up ahead. He peered over the side, down along the undercarriage and grinned. Peppy still tractored the second hover bike, staying as close to the freighter as possible.

"Hurry, Fox!" shouted Hare at the top of his lungs. Peppy gestured by craning his head towards the freighter then, after the brief pause, hollered, "It's out of control!" His voice sounded far away, swallowed by the cacophony of a freighter grinding the granite. The noise of exploding engines added to the ambiance.

Fox glanced down over the edge. He stood on top, his cape billowing in the wind and took a deep breath. The pilot eyed the empty hover bike behind Peppy, fifteen feet below. Again, the vulpine took a deep breath… then dove off of the freighter. His torso struck the seat like a painful belly flop. Fox closed his fists around the foot pegs of his bike, unable to take a breath. Peppy, still in control of both bikes, used his left paw to ease the handlebars away from the freighter. He also still held onto the child with his right paw. Peppy put distance between the freighter and the bikes; Fox held on for dear life, still in a struggle from having the wind knocked out of his lungs. He gasped, wheezed and did all he could to suck in a single breath of air.

In the background, the freighter slammed into the canyon wall, compacting from the force. The engines burst, causing the aft section of the ship to erupt into flames. A rush of hot air caught Fox's fur and tail, toying with both for a moment. It was then that Fox realized Peppy had stopped the bikes. McCloud slid off of his vehicle and laid in the dirt for a moment until his breath returned.

Peppy dismounted his bike, still holding the trembling toddler. "Be glad you landed on your stomach. If you dropped to your bike in the normal posture, from that distance, you'd have probably ended the McCloud bloodline right there."

Fox gasped in a thin voice, "Very funny; why do you think I draped myself across the seat the way I did?" He rolled onto his back in the hot desert sand, just taking a moment to regain his normal breathing. "That guy at the end was completely off his rocker."

"Who?" Peppy shifted the little boy to his other arm.

Fox took a deep breath to calm himself then replied, "Captain Adler; some lizard Black Operations operative for Venom."

"I doubt you'll ever see him again," Peppy replied, glancing over at the freighter's wreckage. "That thing shrunk like an accordion on impact. Congratulations on your first rescue operation, Fox. Rescuing the Mayor's kid will get you …_us_… a quasi-famous reputation." Peppy approached Fox, handing the boy over with a smile. "The good publicity will make more people notice you. This team needs recognition if we plan to be a successful Mercenary group. Building a name means bringing in business at a later time. Technically, this is our first mission, since we're going to be paid for it."

Fox received the little boy into his arms and nodded firmly. "Where's Falco and Slippy?"

Peppy patted his paws over his torso, beating the desert sand from his clothes. "Slippy is taking the supplies to town and Falco is taking the girl back to our place because she's a bit dehydrated. I'll head back and get things in order."

"I'm going to take the kid back to his father," Fox said, looking down at the boy. "You ready to go home, buddy?" The shy child, quiet from the traumatic stress of his abduction, nodded his head one slow time. Fox turned back to his bike, gave Peppy a nod then mounted the cycle's seat. "See ya back at the base, old man."

* * *

**The court room fell silent.** Fara Phoenix glanced to the jury on her left then back to the judge on her immediate right. Her gaze panned across the court room, stopping on the defense lawyer with a notebook. She licked her lips and pursed them together. 

The judge leaned towards her and whispered into her large right ear. "Miss Phoenix, I understand that it _is_ classified material, but you have permission to talk about it."

She nodded, keeping her gaze on the lawyer, then said, "Nova Bombs. He explained that he received my name from a Two-Star General, although he did _not_ go into the same details that the investigation team uncovered. He said there are four top Generals and he also mentioned assorted brass, all Cornerian military leaders."

The judge stood up from his bench and cleared his throat. "Short recess, fifteen minutes. John Pepper and Fara Phoenix, I want to see you both in my chambers, right now." The judge, a buck with massive antlers, slid from between his desk and chair, turning towards Fara. "This way, Miss Phoenix." He motioned towards a door at the back, the rest of the courtroom becoming noisy with the ambient sounds of papers shuffled, people speaking to one another and movement in the gathered crowd.

The Judge opened the door for Fara and held it open until John Pepper came through. Once both were inside, the buck stepped in and shut the door behind himself. The small office, quiet and lined with books, had a row of chairs at one end.

Fara settled in one, adjusting her business suit. John Pepper, dressed in his uniform, settled into another.

"This is going to turn into a media circus from here on out," said the cervine, folding his arms overtop of his large black judicial robes. "Miss Phoenix, the defendant is dead and his accomplice is taking a plea bargain deal. As you both know, he walks this case if he agrees to point out the people responsible for sending Joshua Malinski to the right person: The pilot with the access codes to the ordinance. Obviously, we know where this is going." The buck turned to Pepper and sighed. "There are so many people under investigation that we actually have high ranking officers putting in their resignation. They're walking away from the military because this is such a circus. They're walking away so to keep their pride and ego intact. They're ending their careers because so many of them are involved in either cover up, or worse, being a part of this and not even realizing it. The implications are huge; the realization is shocking a nation – a planet. Now, as the top military judge, we're going to have a problem here… who is going to run our damned Army?"

Both Pepper and Phoenix remained silent. Judge Buckner, the brown short-furred white-tailed deer, began pacing through the office. "This is a highly unusual case, but after tomorrow's closing session, the Jury will find the junior brass either guilty or not guilty. However, we've already removed our top four highest-ranking Generals, _all _ofour three star Generals, our two star Generals, our fleet-and-rear admirals…" Buckner turned to John Pepper and shrugged.

"You've just graduated officer's school with the highest honors in North-Point Academy's history. A sergeant… receiving the highest grades and most merits on his record I've ever seen. You've received a flawless _ZERO_ demerit count, Pepper. You've been rated by your teachers as an outstanding military tactician. They've recommended you, with their blessings, to temporarily act as General of the Cornerian Army until this mess is settled. This is a highly unlikely jump for a highly unlikely sergeant."

Fara turned to Pepper, getting a warm vibe from the middle-aged hound. "Why is Mister Pepper such a highly unlikely candidate?"

John offered a smile to Fara. "I'm diagnosed as unfit for enlisted duty, due to my condition as a diabetic. I self-medicate by eating sweets, but my blood-sugar levels fluctuate, which makes it impossible to soldier in the military. I was supposed to bow out in six months, when my _eight year_ tour ends. My doctor promised to allow me to wait until the end of the tour, because I'm nearly there."

Fara placed a paw over her muzzle. "Will you leave if you remain acting General?"

"I don't have to run through a muddy battlefield with sixty-pounds of gear and a lack of medical supplies if I'm a General. I decided to become an officer to extend my stay with the Military. Not a single one of those old geezers, who we discharged last week, could still do fifteen pushups. They're just old warhorses who knew strategy. Me? I can still do fifty, with no problem." Pepper grinned then added, "But only after I eat a lollypop." He reached into his blazer, withdrew a green one and offered it to Fara. "Sucker, my dear?"

Fara lifted her paw, shaking her head slowly. "No thanks, General. My sweet tooth is for dark chocolate, not sugar candies."

Pepper offered the green pop to Buckner who also declined. John smiled then said, "Fair enough." The sugar only aided his diabetic medication but he always felt compelled to ask. John Pepper gave them a smile then shrugged off their refusals. He cleared his throat then changed the subject. "So, I'm going to be a four-star General? I report to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of Defense?"

"Appointing an enlisted soldier to step up to the rank of General… I hope you realize that this has never been done," said Judge Buckner. "Picture this, if you will: A sergeant going through officer's school and being promoted straight to General… It seems simply insane. Finding a replacement isn't like hiring someone with good credentials. This is something you have to earn, and yet here we are, faced with needing a General to help us, knowing that we could be at war at any moment. So, we started thinking about our options. The thing is, your school claims you've earned it, John. So, I need your permission to throw you into the fire, so to speak."

"I'll do it," said Pepper. Fara leaned up and kissed him on the side of his cheek. He gave her a soft smile, "Thank you, Miss Phoenix. I do hope that this attack hasn't rattled you; I hope you will stay on as Chief Test Pilot."

Fara smiled a bit. "I will, under certain conditions."

Pepper glanced at his watch, looked up at the judge then turned back to her. "We have a few minutes, go ahead and tell me your conditions."

"I want to train the squadron who takes over the Arwing program. I understand that the fighter will be implemented in a new attack against Venom when the time is right and when the program is deemed ready to proceed. I also understand that you'll be bringing in a squadron to fly these Arwings against Venom. I don't care who they are, I just want to be allowed to field test them. Also, I'd like to request assembling my own squad, with permission to hand-pick my pilots. I need intelligent women who will fly on my wing and help me to test this Arwing inside and out."

"Women only, Miss Phoenix?" Pepper canted his head to the left, tilting it a bit.

"Well, it just so happens that a tight squadron is only as good as its chemistry. I've met two pilots that seem to agree with my chemistry. It just so happens that they're both females, although one is on Academy Spring Break leave. I have nothing against male pilots, Sir."

Pepper blinked. "One of the pilots you want is still in flight school?"

Fara nodded, adding, "She's good. Fay is no joke. She's young but she's calm, intelligent and attentive. She does what she's asked and volunteers to do things that put her at the head of her class, this year. I actually met her in a cockpit, on the competitive freestyle course, after school hours. She's amazing and we have chemistry. The other is of age and is currently a Military Police guard, who has passed the Academy already."

Pepper nodded. "You've got your team, but under one condition," he said. "When you test my squadron of Arwing Pilots, your squadron stays at home. You'll be doing your job as Chief Test Pilot, but I don't need seven prototype fighters in the sky. I plan on finding a four-pilot squad to do the Venom run and want to weigh several options. The thing is, the last time we sent a squad to Venom, the trio was overpowered and taken down. One of the pilots disappeared, possibly defecting to the enemy… the other two were ambushed. In the same situation, a fourth pilot would have rounded out a functioning squad and they might have survived."

Fara leaned forward in her chair. "I heard one of those three pilots _did_ survive."

"Two did," said Pepper. "One of them was the defector. He's still at large. The other two were personal friends of mine. That is part of the reason I take that mission so seriously. I knew Jim and Peppy very well and Peppy is still a damn good pilot. Anyhow, it's ancient history, now. At least as far as the Military is concerned. You've got your team, but like I said, when you test my squadron, I want you flying solo with them."

"I can handle that," Fara said. "And what of my team's ships?"

"They can _all_ fly Arwings," Pepper replied much to Fara's delight. He paused then smiled. "Perhaps we can do another special order paint-job like the first one."

"H-how did you know?" Fara asked.

"I've paid attention to this case, the people involved and looked into your file. You fly a stealth-black Arwing with orange highlights. Perhaps one lady can do white with pink highlights, and the other can do steel gray with light blue. As for my team, all four fighters will be light gray with dark gray highlights. I like uniformity."

Buckner cleared her throat. "Miss Phoenix, _General_ Pepper, our fifteen minutes is up. Fara, your cross-examination will be less intense than it was last week, during the case for the senior military staff leaders. However, please keep your guard up… that defense lawyer is a slimy man. He's good at appealing to a Jury for a reduced sentence; don't let him trip you up. Let's go."

* * *

**Fox sat down on the cot** adjacent to Fay D. Spaniel. She lifted her paws and drew the candy-apple bow from her headfur. "I don't know why I like it so much," she told him. "My ears are so fluffy and resemble long white hair, but I can't shorten it… and yet the headfur on my head is never longer than my thumb, curled tight and short. So, I go with fashion accessories to make up for the lack of having any bangs."

"That's not what I meant," Fox said, reaching to ease the red fabric from her paws. "I think it's… you know, _cute_. I guess it's a guy thing; I explained it wrong because I don't use words like '_cute'_ or '_adorable_' you know? I'm just saying… It's cool and it's girly."

"I think I can find a compliment in _girly_," said Fay with a wry grin. "I heard three of you guys bailed, right as you graduated from the Academy. You guys just up and left Corneria and didn't even show up to the ceremony."

Fox nodded. "Something like that; although the rumor mill is rather amusing they do have some of the story right. Falco actually took his exam over the internet, because we came here three days before his test date. Why, are you looking to stay with us?"

"The last two days have been awesome," Fay said. "But I have stuff for me back on Corneria. I'm joining a small squadron, most likely flying an M-Class with a test pilot, who is employed on a contract owned by Arspace Dynamics and was bought by the Cornerian Military. She's become a good friend and I couldn't let her down by bailing on her."

"That's fine," said Fox. "Did you still want to stay here until you return?"

"Can I?" she asked. "Like I said, I've already attended to my family affairs, here. With the plane that crashed into the terminal, a lot of flights back to Corneria have been delayed. I don't have anywhere else to stay and if you guys are willing to save me money by becoming a free hotel, I'm all for it." Fay reached her paw up and ruffled Fox's vanilla streak of headfur. "I appreciate it."

"The pleasure is all mine," said Fox, adding, "We have a job to pull tomorrow. I'd appreciate having another pilot along for the ride, because we could split the work load better, but if you're not up for more excitement…"

"Fox, honey, the only thing I regretted about our meeting on that freight ship, is the fact I couldn't pull the trigger on the blaster you handed me. I may wear a bow in my hair, but that doesn't make me any less of a fighter pilot or tomboy."

McCloud handed the red fabric back to her, unsure of how she made the bow stick up in her hair so well. "You can stay as long as you like, Fay."

"You're sweet," she replied. "I appreciate that you've been letting me sleep in your bed. It must be awkward to_ sleep_ in your favorite chair, let alone taking it out in the drafty hallway each night." She smiled and pushed her paws down, beneath her rump. She sat on her knuckles and crossed her ankles. She offered the vulpine a sheepish grin; the red fabric she used to make her hair bow disappeared beneath her bottom, scrunched up in her fists.

Fox grinned at her feminine posture. "It's the least I can do; you helped us recover that kid. If you hadn't stuck by him in the cell, things would have happened differently. Rescuing him earned us twenty thousand credits."

She nodded then, in a softer voice, said, "I heard a rumor that you were offered more but turned down over half."

"I'm here to get rich," Fox said. "I want my team to feel that they're risking their lives for the right price. Being a military pilot for a small salary and a pension isn't worth risking your neck. BUT twenty was reasonable, because we've no prior experience. We're only as good as a reputation that doesn't even exist yet. We've gotta earn the right to ask for that kind of money, before doing so."

Fay patted his cheek with her paw. "Honor is a good priority to have, but so is self respect. Don't devalue the lives of your team. They're your family and you're out there, trying to provide for them. You just provided thirty thousand less than you could have for that family. I don't disrespect you for that, just… a little advice." Fay rubbed her thumb against the soft orange veneer, beneath his eyes. "You know, for the future."

Fox leaned in and Fay guided his muzzle to hers. Before either realized what they were doing, their lips touched. Fay lowered her muzzle and Fox turned his head to the left. He placed his paw behind his head, scratching at the back of his neck. The two shied away from one another and Fox coughed to break the silence. His ears flickered, hearing Fay clear her own throat.

"Sorry, I must have leaned forward and…" Fox trailed off.

Fay shook her head in a vehement manner. "No, no it was me; I'm sitting on my left paw and I leaned forward to shift my weight, you know?" The cocker spaniel forced herself into a normal breathing pattern so as not to blush. "Do you guys have anything to drink here? Any kind of beverage; I'm just a touch parched."

"Sure," replied Fox, glad she broke the tension between them. "Falco keeps a six pack on the bottom shelf, I keep a jug of orange juice and Slippy keeps a pitcher of water and a case of soda. Peppy brews tea and makes morning coffee. So, we have pretty much anything."

Fay, still flustered, coughed again to hide her bubbly feminine emotions. "Soda, pop, cola; whatever you want to call it, I'll have one." She loved her 'feminine side' but only to an extent. She preferred to blast targets with her fighter or act in a way that she felt men would respect. As of recent times, Fara Phoenix became one of the first women role-models in her life to show her she can be dainty, sassy and ladylike in conjunction to handling a high tech weapon-oriented flying machine.

Fox smiled then went for the door. He paused, glanced over his shoulder at her, then disappeared into the hallway. Fay watched him leave and shook her head. "Good grief, I'll have to tell Fara about him. For a fox, he's a gorgeous man; lord knows Fara needs a nice guy to come along and…"

Fox called out from the kitchen, "Did you say something, Fay? Did you change your mind?"

She brought her paws to her mouth and held her breath without so much as moving. Frozen, the young cocker spaniel didn't even reply. After a moment, she heard his voice again. "Fay?"

The canine cleared her throat and, in a clear voice, announced, "No, Fox! Just the soda!" She covered her muzzle again to stifle the fit of giggles which threatened to erupt in her throat.

Fox returned to his room with two glasses. He stepped through the door, quick to notice her looking innocent and complacent. He eyed her for a moment, approaching with the drinks. She reached up and freed his left paw of its burden then offered him a smile. McCloud took a sip from his glass then, with a slight shrug, sat down on the edge of the old mattress, besides her. "Sometimes the wind blows through hollow sections of the tree trunk above us; it sounds like a feminine humming. I just thought I heard you saying something but couldn't be sure. Sorry about that."

Fay smiled. "It's quite all right," she mused, bringing the glass to her lips. A little on the silly side, she kicked her feet in a mock run; they dangled over the side of the bed, inches above the floor. She took a drink then asked, "Can I go on at least one raid with you, before I have to return to Corneria?"

"Like I said…" Fox put his glass on a nightstand. "We could use your help on the next job. We'd love to have ya."

"I thought you were joking," she told him. A delighted grin tugged at the corners of her muzzle and her tail beat against the side of the mattress in an excited rhythm. "When?"

Fox couldn't help but chuckle. "…Tomorrow! Didn't I mention that already?"

"Probably!" Fay broke into soft laughter, shaking her head at her own girly-ness. "I suppose I was too affected by your boyish wiles, Fox McCloud. You'd better tone it down; say _yes ma'am_ and _no ma'am_, Mister!" Her playful tone helped Fox to relax. She saw his smile and exclaimed, "You're just… one big silly!" and abruptly turned away from him to finish the cola.

Fox blinked at the strange way she turned an adverb into a pronoun. '_That had to be the cutest thing I've ever heard,_' he thought. He stood up from the mattress and took his drink from the nightstand, announcing, "We start at dawn. I'm going to take a shower before bed; I'll see you at sunrise. Sleep well."

"You too, Fox." She watched him leave. Once the door shut, she rolled over on the mattress and collapsed into a fit of soft giggles.

Out in the hallway, McCloud removed each shoe with the aid of his other foot then kicked them into a random corner. He pulled a can of carbonated alcohol from his front pocket and stepped into Falco's room, passing the beer to his friend. "You ready for tomorrow?"

"Hell yeah," replied the avian. He took the aluminum can from Fox, snapped the top with his beak and took a drink. "The girl is cute, too. We got back to the den before you did, so we were bored. I offered to race her on the extra hover bike and she kept up pretty well. Better than Slippy and he's not bad, either. I know a pushover when I see one and she's no pushover. Her personality reminds me of someone I knew in my past." Falco's thoughts turned to Katt Monroe, another bubbly personality from his old life.

Breaking Falco of his reverie, Fox asked, "So you think she'll handle herself well tomorrow?"

Falco nodded in reply to his friend's question then took another drink. He placed the beer can on the dusty wooden tiles and stretched out across the mattress which sat upon the floor in the corner of his room. "Yeah, man. You know, the only reason I'm ever hard on anyone, like – say – Slippy is because I've seen him kick ass before. I know he can do it, so I expect it of him every time he takes the spotlight. She's easily just as capable as ole' frog-face. On an unrelated note, I think we should keep everything we score on tomorrow's job, to make up for that thirty thousand credits you denied us."

Fox groaned. "You surprise me by saying something intelligent; almost touching and honorable… then you ruin it by proving you still have goddamn feathers for brains. I'm not going to tell you again; the more we give to the community, the more we raise our reputation. I don't ask for much from this team… I won't until the day we're an established Mercenary Squadron. I'm serious, dammit. Don't make this an issue, bud. I'm not a greedy, money grubbing jerk. People who are _only_ in it for the capital really rub me the wrong way. Yeah, I want to get paid for the work I do and we probably didn't get paid enough to rescue a child because we have to take our safety and the kid's safety into consideration but… No one gives a rookie athlete one hundred million credits for his first year."

McCloud turned and left the room, shaking his head in contempt. The old copper pipes hissed on the other side of the wall, providing water to the shower stall in the bathroom. A moment later, Peppy stepped into Falco's bedroom with a frown. Lombardi blinked at the expression on the man's face. "…What? What did I say?"

"It's not your fault," said Hare. "It's a long story, Falco. Fox doesn't like stingy people who only want to take for personal gain. He's still angry towards Pigma."

"…Who?"

Peppy drew in a long, slow breath. He closed his eyes and frowned. "Pigma Dengar. How do I explain Pigma? That hog was… He's… a bastard whose greed was powerful enough to ruin not only his own life but the lives of Fox and myself, as well. I'll tell you the story tomorrow, after we finish the job. After I explain it, you'll hate Pigma every bit as much as Fox does. Anyhow, I'm off to bed. Have a good night." The rabbit turned for the door and left.

"G'night, froggy!" Falco pounded his fist on a thin wall behind his bed.

"Yeah, you too," replied the muffled voice of Slippy Toad, coming through the drywall.

* * *

**Fox awoke on his chair** in his temporary 'room'. A cool draft blew through the hallway which carried the dull noise of wind blowing through hollow sections of the old oak tree. The hallway draft caused Fox's fur to rustle; he stretched with a groan, half-ready to set fire to the tree. 

"You've a long day ahead, Junior." Peppy's voice surprised the vulpine youth, causing the boy to sit up. Peppy gave a grin then asked, "Do you want a cup of coffee? Are you ready to rescue me, young man?"

"I never cared much for 'Junior' but anyway." Fox pushed his palms into his face, rubbed at his eyes and yawned. He kicked his legs over the side of the chair, hair tousled, t-shirt disheveled. "I kissed Fay last night. It wasn't my smartest moment; she looked like she felt pretty awkward afterwards."

"Don't worry about it. She's a grown girl," replied Hare. "I've got to go and get ready. By the time you guys wake up, I'll already be behind bars. Don't start too early, or I'll still be on a freighter, en'route."

"Run this by me again," said Fox. His weary eyes lowered to the floor for a moment.

Peppy shook his head and said, "Fox, go sleep in my room. I use a blanket for a door, but it really muffles the noise of the wind and keeps the draft out." He walked with McCloud into his bedroom and the two sat down on Hare's mattress. He handed Fox a metallic transmitter and smiled. "It's very simple. I go and blow up their communication's relay substation. It's no job for kids, no offence, so I'm doing it alone because one person can get through their alarm defenses, a team would get caught. After I blow the transmission dish, I'll let myself get caught. I'll agree to exchange information on the resistance in exchange for them not killing me."

Fox looked worried. "How do you know they won't shoot you on the spot?"

"Because their wanted posters claim they're paying for information on the Anti-Venom Resistance. All their wanted posters for criminals against Venom claim that each person is wanted 'alive only'. They didn't kill that kid or Fay, remember? You found them in a cell. They want information and are willing to make a deal or torture someone to obtain it. I'll give myself up, turn myself in and offer information. They have no idea that the resistance is so small, though. When I arrive at the depot, you'll follow the tracker and rescue me."

Fox replied with a firm nod. "The four of us will storm the hub and free you. We'll download any possible information from their computer archive and detonate the place."

"Just think," Peppy mused. "With this hub destroyed, merchant thieving will be reduced by more than half in this vicinity alone. Remember, you'll have to wait until dusk to get started. And don't worry about me, Fox. Just make sure Falco, Slippy and Fay survive this mission. That's your objective as a leader. Impress me. Remember what I taught you?"

"Never give up and trust my instincts," recited the teenager. Fox gave him a smile and leaned back in the bed.

Peppy snatched the balled up blanket at the edge of the bed and tossed it to Fox. The hare, slipping off the mattress, gave Fox a 'thumbs up' gesture then left the bedroom. "Remember, McCloud, not a move until dusk. Anything earlier and you'll just be telegraphing the group's intent. Then they'll be ready for your attack. Right now they think their depot is well hidden. And if you screw things up, it'll stay that way."

"Thanks, Peppy. I'll remember," said Fox. "Good luck with getting… captured. I'll be angry if they roughhouse you."

"Just relax," Hare replied. "And get some sleep; that's an order! You need rest if you're going to be on your toes tomorrow." Peppy crossed the room and left through the blanket hanging in the doorframe. Fox leaned back on the bed and pulled the blanket over himself. He knew what he had to do… listen to orders.

* * *

**Fox and company sat on a ridge**, overlooking the valley. The scenery of endless desert sand and seven story mushrooms paled in comparison to the large super complex at the center of the flat. Twin glass towers jutted into the sky, acting as the centerpiece for the behemoth complex. Falco let out a low whistle. 

"Now _that_ is impressive," said Lombardi. His arms remained crossed over the rocket launcher in his lap. He leaned back against his hover-bike engine case, using the seat bench as a headrest. "Peppy could be anywhere in there."

"That's why we have the transponder," Fox reminded. "Peppy assured me that this would be a challenge but that's why we've been doing small jobs for training."

Slippy took the transponder from Fox's paw and began to tamper with it. "What about Fay?" He grew silent, tweaking the unit with a tool from his belt then looked up and realized he'd become the center of attention. "What? I'm just saying… she's not practiced with us, so how are we going to do this? It's not like we had rehearsal or anything."

Falco smirked, stretched out and sighed. A headdress of feathers decorated his forehead, spiky and without pattern. "You're getting better with the stammering, froggie. Listen, Fox and I already discussed this. You and I are going to go in through the sewage line. You'll swim through the underground maintenance lines, into their fresh drinking water supply, and open the hatch for me. I'll meet up with you and we'll go in through their plumber access crawlspace, following the little gadget until we find Peppy. We'll use an explosive to take out the wall and we'll pull Peppy out of the cell. From that point on, he'll run the show and I'll shoot people." Falco turned an expectant gaze to the team leader and cued the commander. "Fox?"

"Right," McCloud responded with a firm nod. "Meanwhile, Fay and I will steal away into their armory. I'll plant several timed explosives. Then we'll make our way towards the refueling section and set more bombs. I'll take a grenade or whatever I can find in their armory, toss it into their crew quarters and we'll run. The blast will be your cue to spring Peppy. Don't use the wall charges until you hear the boom. Count two minutes; that'll give the guards time to be distracted by the bait. If, for any reason, something goes wrong, your orders are to get out. Leave Peppy to me and I'll handle the rest."

Slippy smiled at the familiar way Fox phrased the plan. "It's a l-little like our attack on the Saratoga a few d-days ago, right?"

Fox nodded. "The only difference is that Peppy is a planted hostage. You guys will be providing Peppy with his weapons. Do you have enough to share?"

Falco waved his hand at McCloud in a dismissive gesture. "We've got it, Foxie."

"All right, you guys. Let's move out." Fox eased his legs over the edge of the slope and slid down the rocky terrain with Fay right behind him. Upon reaching the bottom, they both broke into a sprint, side by side, heading towards the large wall surrounding the depot perimeter.

Fox lifted his head, watching Falco and Slippy glide by with black hang gliders then leveled his gaze on the goal ahead. Within a few minutes, McCloud and Spaniel reached the towering concrete wall surrounding the depot. He stepped behind her and reached into her duffle bag. Fox withdrew a modified hookshot tool, aimed it upwards then fired the anchor-shaped grapple. It soared into the air and disappeared over the wall.

Mashing his thumb down on the reel button, the line became taut and Fox put his feet against the wall. "Ready to rappel without a safety line?"

"Sounds exciting," she replied. She stepped behind him, put her chest to his back and then chuckled. "Now I understand why you asked me to wear this strange body suit with zippers all over the arms and legs, but no pockets." She interlaced the zippers on her shins, thighs and chest with the zipper mates on Fox's legs and his mid back. Once secured, she wrapped her arms around his waist. Fox clinched both paws around the device and hit the automatic reel button again. With the help of the grapple hook, he walked vertically up the side of the wall, teeth clinched, body tense from the weight.

The physically grueling walk became easier once his adrenaline kicked in. Each arduous step made his muscles burn. Their combined weight and the force of gravity caused the thirty-foot walk to feel like a mile. "Lucky for us, Papetoon's gravity is less than Corneria's. I don't think I'd have made it on a larger planet."

"We're almost there," she said. Her jaw rested on his shoulder and her cheek pressed against the side of his own. "I could have done this walk, we should have taken turns."

Fox grunted in disagreement, still ten steps from the top. "We're under time constraints, because they're going through a shift change." He leaned forward and slid his left leg, along with her attached left leg, over the lip. Straddling the wall, Fox reached over the ledge and unhooked the grapple line. "My body is going to ache like hell tomorrow."

"I believe it," Fay agreed. She reached down and unzipped the heavy duty zipper on her chest, removing herself from his back. Then she reached down and unattached their legs. She scooted apart to give him some space and stretched. "It's a thirty foot drop to the bottom. How're we going to get down there?"

"Luck," he said with a smile. Fox gestured her to stillness with a finger to the muzzle. A moment of silence passed then his eyes zeroed in on something nearby. He carefully pivoted on his rear until he faced her then twirled his finger in the air, a gesture for her to do the same. She turned about and he began to rummage through her backpack which held all their gear.

Fox withdrew a strange looking claw and changed the grapple attachment on the hook shot. He aimed the metallic tube at a freighter in a dock, far bellow. The spear accessory hit the metal hull and the line became taut. Next, Fox withdrew a strange looking device. A wheel, set inside of a block with two protruding handles… Fox placed the grooved wheel against the line then flipped a lock switch on the left handle. He removed a metal plate at the end of the hook shot to reveal an adhesive mount. The crafty vulpine pressed the end of the device against the wall, reached down to take hold of the object perched on the line with the handle then grinned. "Ready?"

"For what?" she asked with a frown. The cocker spaniel tilted her head, furrowing her eyebrows. "We're… taking turns on that thing, right?"

"Wrong!" Fox slid his free paw around her waist and used his feet to push away from the wall. Fay instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist, clinging to him. The two floated through the air, down the zip line, nearly at the speed of a freefall. Fox kicked his legs out and up, using the heels of his boots to slow their descent down the line. Diagonally aimed from the top of the wall to the rooftop of the freighter ship, they landed upon the hull of the supply craft hard enough for Fay to lose her grip.

The pilots spilled across the top of the freight ship, both panting from excitement and adrenaline. Fay caught her breath first and said, "You could have warned me! What a rush, though, huh?"

"Yeah," wheezed McCloud. He inhaled a deep breath then stood up.

"Hey!" cried a voice. "You, there! You kids! Put your hands above your heads and get down on your knees!"

"Crap! Crap, crap, _crap_!" Fox drew his double handguns and fired at the guards, using a silencer barrel capable of distorting the particles of the energy wave. Invisible shockwaves of energy slammed into the guards. In mid run, each of the two approaching lizards lurched back and tumbled to the ground, motionless. Fox turned to Fay and pointed to a hatch leading into the freighter ship. "C'mon! The diversionary plan has changed! Follow me!" He kicked the hatch open, she slid down inside. Fox followed, sliding down the metallic ladder.

He aimed his weapons to the left and right in the middle of the hallway. Fay withdrew a blaster and, attempting to relax, she took a deep breath. The two young pilots nodded to one another then took off down the hallway. Fox kicked open the door to the bridge with a grunt. He stormed across the abandoned control deck to the helm.

"You're going to fly this thing into a building as the distraction?"

McCloud smiled in a knowing way. "Works better than a noisy fake bomb, huh?" A flashing light on the screen caused them both to turn to the sensor display on the wall. "What is _that_?"

Fay approached the grid and keyed in a variation of controls. "Hold on, my Venom is rusty." After a moment, a list of numbers appeared next to the blinking target on the scope. "It appears someone is leaving the depot in a hurry. They just launched and are heading straight into the atmosphere at a rapid rate."

Fox tilted his head. "Strange but, as long as they're leaving, I'm not going to worry about it." He pointed to the controls. "Are you ready to fly a freighter into a building, pilot?"

Fay sank into the chair, placing her paws upon the controls with a delighted grin. "Aye, aye, captain! Let's see how much damage twenty-five thousand tons of thrust can do!"

"Didn't I tell you this would be exciting?" Fox scurried over to the tactical station, punched some buttons on the wall then turned back to the main view screen. "I polarized the hull plating; this thing doesn't even have actual shields. Set the course for autopilot if you can figure out how to do it. Then, let's get the hell off of this barge."

"I figured it out; the course is laid in." Fay gave him a 'thumbs up' gesture then typed in the command to power up the engines. "The computer will automate the course as soon as the engines are fully powered. That means we only have a few minutes to get off this freighter. Also, I suggest we leave through the back and across the dock."

"That would be suicide!" Fox shook his head, furrowing his brows at her. "Why would you want to do such a thing?"

Fay checked the magazine on her blaster. "Because those are the dock workers that are capable of stopping this barge from doing what we want it to do." Spaniel flipped the switch on the battery pack which would allow for a heavier energy concentration output. She slammed the cartridge into the handle; the digital display on the weapon changed to a number half its initial amount. She jerked her head to the right to toss her long white ears behind her then added, "So we have to take'em out. They'll not be prepared, so we have the advantage. We'll just run out there with guns blazing. If we sneak off, they'll board this ship and stop it in time."

"Peppy once said, '_A good leader relies on a good team to help him make good calls._' Your idea is a winner."

Fay smiled. "I agree, it does have merit."

Laughing, Fox hooked his elbow into her forearm and the two raced for the door. Together, they ran down the abandoned hallway to the aft section of the ship. They hurried across the cargo bay, opened the loading doors then ran out, onto the dock, with their guns blazing.

Fox's headset communicator came to life, Falco hollering into the vulpine pilot's ear. "Foxie, we've had a slight change of plan."

"I'm kinda busy, Falco," Fox replied, focusing his attention on his ability to aim. Each careful shot found its mark but there were too many dock workers for a head-on assault. Fox shoved Fay to the left. Together they sprinted across the dock towards safety. "Covering fire, Fay! Let's pin them down; run!"

Falco continued over the channel. "Slippy just earned his keep. I had him try to use a computer terminal to hack in and pull up Peppy on the security cameras but he couldn't do it. Instead, he managed to tap in to a communication's patch, routed through this maintenance terminal, because all the mains – power and communications – go through this substation terminal, down here beneath the depot. Listen!"

The channel went quiet for a moment then Falco put his communicator up to the terminal speaker, so that Fox could hear a heated conversation between two people, speaking in Cornerian. "No, Doctor! I simply mean to suggest that we're relocating the test subject from Papetoon to a similar climate on Titania. That ship will rendezvous with Bolse Defense and return to Papetoon with parts to repair several of our ships. No one has to know what we're dropping off on Titania because we're circumventing Sector Y and Katina flight space. It will be an effortless journey, my liege!"

Andross's voice came next, over the channel. "It had better be. If anyone finds out what we're transporting, Corneria will destroy it. My reports indicate that multiple ships require repair, so I've tripled the amount of allotted equipment on the return freighter. And find my damn dreadnaught! I want its cargo! It never left that tiny little chunk of rock, so either you find it, or you'll find yourself replaced by someone more capable!"

"Yes, yes doctor!"

Andross glowered at the title. "Emperor, you twit! I am your Emperor, you fool. Find that ship! If you don't find GreatFox, I'll come to Papetoon and do it myself – you don't want that, because I'll personally make your life hell!"

"Yes, Emperor! I understand!" The conversation ended over the headset. Fox continued to usher Fay into a restricted access hallway on the far end of the dock platform. Workers stormed the deck from the rear section, flooding the area.

Falco's voice returned. "Did you get that, Fox? Andross is looking for our ship, but he's also sending us parts to fix it! We'll be off this dump in no time!"

"Stand by!" shouted Fox. He wrapped his arms around Fay then bowled her over, halfway down the corridor. The freighter's massive thruster engine backfired. The engine burst filled the main dock with a plume of fire. The ship lurched forward, causing the moorings to snap. Thousands of tons of booster thrust engulfed the platform – the blast roasted the lizards, burning them to cinders. An intense heat wave rushed over Fox, who laid upon Fay's back, six hundred feet down a side hallway.

The freighter, set on autopilot, raced out of the birth and into a depot lane. It brushed against the thirty foot perimeter wall, cracking the concrete structure with ease, and then continued along its prearranged flight course. A thousand feet out, the runaway ship cut hard to port, turned about, then plowed into the business lobby of the East tower. The ground shook like an earthquake. Fox shouted into his headset microphone, "That's your cue, Falco! Get ready to spring Peppy!"

"Holy crap!" crowed Falco over the channel. "That's one hell of a noise bomb, Fox! It sounds more like a small moon is crashing into the whole complex!"

Fox exclaimed, "You're not too far off, now move!" Before he could say another word, a volley of blaster fire scorched the hallway wall, nearby. Fox clamored to his feet, pulling Fay up. "Let's go, pilot! We're under attack!" Fox intended to say something to the effect of, _'We're not through this yet; let's go!'_ but the words never came out. His gestures of pulling her from the hallway caused her to break into a sprint, narrowly avoiding the next round of gunfire intended to stop them. Fox shouted, "Go, go, go!" The excited vulpine guided her down an intersection, away from the attack guards.

A marmoset stepped into the hallway in their path. Fox brought his elbow up and, with the full force of his weight, struck the lanky ape in the jaw. Fay fired her blaster over her shoulder without looking in an attempt to pin down the forces in chase. She leapt over the fallen ape with the vulpine pilot right behind her. The two raced down the hall until it ended at a "T" intersection.

With a gesture from McCloud, they both broke to the left at the end of the hallway. "The writing on the wall said the armory is this way," he panted, adding, "I think! Anyhow, we're almost there!"

Fay pumped her paws, heaving with every step. Fox gave her a sidelong grin only for something to catch him off guard. He felt his body hurtle through the air, slam into a wall then drop to the floor. A large ape stepped into the hallway from an adjoining corridor. "I would advise you to reassess your vocation, you punk brat." He approached Fox, snatched the pilot by the scruff of the neck then flung the teenager against the opposite bulkhead. Fox groaned. He reached for his forehead, dizzy and flailing.

Fay drew her blaster without hesitation. She aimed down the barrel, lined up the sights then pulled the trigger. The gun bucked softly in her paw; a shockwave of plasma discharge slammed into the ape's head. A grim mosaic of splattered gore covered the wall directly above McCloud's slumped form.

The ape came crashing to his knees. His face was distorted; empty looking eyes rolled upwards and his jaw parted slightly. His nostrils flared followed by his body taking a face plant into the deck in front of the fox. McCloud's eyes lifted to Fay, a wry smile spreading across his muzzle. "Are you kidding? That was freakin' awesome!"

She helped him to his feet and was rewarded by a kiss on her cheek. Fox pressed his lips against the side of her muzzle, cupping either side of her jaw in his paws. She broke into soft laughter before shoving the boy away. "Yes, I get it, you're grateful. Let's hurry!"

A staircase at the end of the hall caught McCloud's attention. He placed his paw on her shoulder and guided her towards the steps; the two of them hurried to the bottom then stopped in their tracks. Fox panned his head, looking across the assembled enemies. Row after row of lizards and apes, eight by eight, filled the room. At a glance, Fox counted over _two hundred_ armed soldiers.

"…The stairway wasn't a good idea," said Fay. She licked her lips apprehensively under the gaze of over two hundred armed killing machines. "They'll just arrest us and put us in a cell, right?"

As if rehearsed, the legion of soldiers pivoted on their left foot to face Fox and Fay. Next, the entire group unshouldered their rifles, bringing their guns to bear in the general direction of the two young pilots. Fox's ear flickered, hearing someone in the back give orders. Two segments of men broke into a sprint, flanking Fox and Fay.

Both of the teenagers slowly backed their way to the stairwell. The commanding officer at the other end of the room shouted, "Steady! Aim!" Every single soldier inched their rifle until Fox and Fay found themselves staring down several hundred muzzles.

Fay's jaw dropped. "This… sucks."

With no means of warning, an explosion ripped through the base. A plasma fire filled the back of the room and the ceiling dropped from the detonation. The East Tower collapsed, crushing the freighter. The ship's engines detonated which spewed fiery plasma discharge in every direction destroying the entire sublevel.

Fox pivoted on his right foot and threw his arms around Fay. He pushed her back, against the steps, covering her body with his own, instinctively protecting her from the collapse of the complex. The ceiling cracked above their heads. Fay's shrill scream rang out, muffled against Fox's forearm. Concrete fell around them, followed by a girder which landed parallel to the young pilots.

The handrail on the side wall snapped from its bolted mounts. Crushed at the center, the far ends lifted straight into the air. A section of the lengthy metallic pole crossed overtop their bodies, struck the opposite side of the stairwell then came to a rest several steps from Fox's head. Another cascade of concrete showered them as the ceiling began to collapse in segments. A flat granite section dropped from above, landing on the girder nearby. It sandwiched Fox to Fay but, due to the proximity of the girder and several nearby blocks, the flat chunk of rock didn't flatten them.

Another giant bolder slammed down upon the concrete slab above them. The slab cracked but remained above them with little space to move. It enshrouded them, keeping another girder from striking the pilots directly.

"We've got to get out of here," Fay demanded. "This stairwell won't protect us from the entire building collapsing! Can you move?"

"We're trapped," Fox replied in a loud voice over the ambient noise of destruction. "This stairwell might be our last hope; hold on and stay quiet. Try and breathe normally, because it's about to get very dusty when the plaster and ash come down! Just stay still for now!"

Fay struggled beneath McCloud. She added, "This is only marginally better than being shot!"

Fox squeezed out from between her and the concrete slab that once acted as a ceiling. He lay on his stomach besides her, uncomfortably positioned on the staircase. He felt her fingers wrap around his paw and so he replied with a gentle squeeze of contention. "We're going to get through this, Fay."

"The staircase was a bad idea," she muttered.

Fox gave her paw another reassuring squeeze. "Better than being crushed by the debris of a falling building," he said, the affirmation in his voice as promising as the touch of his paw on hers. "Just imagine if we were still out there on the dock? We'd be dead by now; flat as a crape."

"As flat as a lizard and ape crape," replied Fay in reference to the soldiers beneath the debris. "When that thing finally stops falling, they're going to pull this slab of ceiling off of us and shoot us."

"Be optimistic," Fox said, shuttering with another loud noise. The remainder of the building suddenly went, bringing seventy-five stories worth of debris down from above. Fox took a deep breath then closed his eyes. Tons of brick, glass and iron beams tumbled from the sky… It slammed into the ground, bringing down the ceiling of the subterranean floor. The stairwell collapsed all around them. Everything went dark and quiet.

* * *

A/N: _The next chapter will lead into where the Comic Begins, but I'm only going to mirror the first several episodes. After that, I will follow the game then lead into what happens shortly after the initial victory against Andross. This will include Fay and Miyu joining Fox's team (Ala SF2: Snes) and Fara's presumed death (Which we learn the details about, in Reflections Of A New Generation.)_

_Btw, Fox and Krystal are NOT dead in Reflections Of A New Generation. We'll see them in the next update. :)_

_-kit_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter -6-  
"Mangy Outlaws"

**"**_**It's you." **__Fox's own voice startled him. He blinked twice, looking around at the void, ethereal surroundings. The woman with the blue fur offered a thin smile, a measure of sadness and pain in her eyes. Fox approached her slowly. "What's wrong?" _

_Without a word, she reached her left paw to her right sleeve and eased the cloth up. He could smell burnt fur and shuttered. She canted her head towards the disfigured marking on her bicep. Fox recognized it immediately. "Is that a branding?" _

_She nodded her head. "I have four more," she told him. He blinked in surprise; this dream marked the first occasion of her voice being used. She continued speaking without pause, telling him, "One on each arm, one on each thigh and one at the small of my back. I'm considerably younger than yourself and my tolerance and threshold for pain is significantly less than what you're able to endure. I passed out from it; now here we are, speaking to one another again." _

_Fox ran his fingers through his headfur then brought his paw to the nape of his neck with a moue of confusion splayed across his muzzle. "You don't look that young; I'm sorry you're in pain, though. Why have you been branded?" _

_"Custom," she replied. "And I am younger but your mind doesn't see me that way. I'm not even sure how your mind represents me." She turned away from him and the environment made a smooth transition to what appeared to be a small cottage. They stood in the living room of the homely dwelling. She approached the rear wall, where an ornate mirror hung from a fastening. Fox quickly noted it to be the only object of décor in the room. He peered over her shoulder; she gazed over herself in the mirror with a fond smile. "Look at me, I'm beautiful." Her eyes shifted to the left, meeting the reflection of his gaze. "You're only a few years older than I am, though. Age is just a number to determine who started learning first. In the end, it doesn't mean much." _

_Fox rubbed the side of his face. "I've never heard you speak before. How did I get here, by the way?" _

_"You're probably not conscious if you wound up here. The first time I saw you was during my very first meditation session. This time, however, it's because I fainted from the pain of my fifth and final branding. I'm really proud of it, though. It was the most difficult to earn. Oh… you're hurt!" Her tone changed to dramatic concern. She turned back towards Fox; as soon as her eyes left the mirror, the setting changed again. She placed her left palm against his muzzle and her right against his forehead. "Oh, but look at you! You're bleeding…" _

_"I think I may have fainted, too." Fox lifted his paw to his forehead, touching the top of her own paw. Blood matted his bangs and facial fur but the only pain he could feel was in his chest. He took her paw and lowered it to his sternum. "What about here?" _

_She gently pressed her fingers into his breastplate. Fox winced in reply, prompting her to frown at him. "Your ribs aren't broken but two of them are horribly bruised. Be glad you're wearing a protective vest beneath your clothing. You should probably wake up." _

_"Why? I like it here." Fox reached forward to cup her face in his palms. _

_"Because if you don't, the lives of your friends will be at risk. Don't worry, I'll see you again. It won't be for a while, though." _

_"Pardon?" He tilted his head to the left. _

_She offered a disenchanted, wan smile. "I'll begin adolescence this season. The frontal lobe begins a radical change and I lose this dream-state ability. It's something for the young of mind and young of heart. But I'll see you again." _

_"Cheer up," Fox said, hurt over the disappointment upon her face. "If I really do see you again, it will give us something to look forward to. Goals and dreams make us who we are." _

_"So do our fears and our faith." _

_McCloud cradled her jaw in his palms and offered a brilliant smile. "Then have faith." He leaned forward and brushed his lips against her own; her sad smile melted into one of bliss and happiness. _

_She lifted her paws and placed her fingers against his forehead once more. She traced her velveteen-padded digits over the natural slope of his forehead, down to the top of his muzzle. Her manicured claws followed the curvature of his snout to the tip of his nose then she smiled and asked, "Do you trust me?" _

_"For some reason, I do." _

_She offered a pleasant smile. "There is only one way to save yourself, Fox. The sewers are fifteen feet below your body. That is the best way out." _

_"Sewers? What are you talking about? I'm not under attack, I'm with __you__." _

_The blue-furred beauty offered him a wink. She continued to explore the curvature of his face with her fingers then said, "Wake up." _

_Fox blinked at her. "Wh-what?" _

_"Wake up, Fox." The girl tilted her head. "Fox McCloud, open your eyes." _

_"Wait, you know my name?" he asked. "At least tell me yours before I go." _

_Her voice sounded different than before. "Fox, hurry and wake up!" The tone was still feminine but the quality of the voice changed to something far more muddled and the sound of the voice became slightly less melodic. _"Hurry, Fox. Please wake up!"

The blue-furred vixen faded from his gaze and an encroaching darkness filled his sight. "Please, Fox. Wake up! You have to wake up! If you don't, I don't know what I'll do!" Fay D. Spaniel continued to whimper with worry; her hot breath rustled the fur of his ear with her hurriedly spoken words. "Wake up!"

"I'm here!" Fox said. His voice trailed into a groan of pain at the sharp sensation in his chest. Something salty caused his eyes to sting; he closed them again. "My paws are pinned down, are yours?"

Fay sighed in relief. "Yeah. Are you hurt?"

"Yeah, but I'm okay," he replied. "Reach up and wipe my eyes with your thumb or a piece of cloth. It feels like I got salt in my eyes."

She leaned up and pressed her nose against the side of his face, just beneath his ear then inhaled deeply of his scent. "It's blood. You've got a cut on your forehead but it's not bad." She reached her right paw up and carefully rubbed at his eye.

Fox opened his eyes to darkness. "Okay, that's a lot better. It's a good thing these girders landed on the staircase on either side of us. I think they created a pocket just deep enough for us to keep from being crushed."

"Speak for yourself," she muttered. "Have you ever been kicked in the balls?" Her question caught Fox off guard.

"Uh… well no, but I've been hit there playing sports. It… hurt. Why do you ask?"

Fay's voice took on a tone of disgust. "Try having them mounted on your chest."

He didn't follow. "Why would I do that? Do you know how sensitive a guy is down there? I've got a concrete slab pressed so hard against my chest right now that I have bruised – possibly cracked – ribs to deal with. I don't know if I'd be able to handle having something like that mounted on my chest; I'd probably be shouting at someone to get me out of here, though."

Fay clinched her teeth. "And now you know how I feel, Fox. Are you ridiculously naïve, or are you really just that dense?"

He paused to contemplate the meaning of her words. After a moment he groaned from the stark realization of what she meant then said, "I'm sorry, Fay. You have such a slender form that I didn't think you were even squished in the least."

Her smirk went on blind eyes, unseen in the darkness. "I am, but not enough to have my ribs bruised. Either way, when the roof collapsed, I was in so much pain that it took my breath away. I laid here gasping for air, dizzy from the pressure against my chest. I wiggled around and shifted my weight to get comfortable and now I'm not so bad off." She drew in a long, slow breath then changed the subject. "How're we going to get out of here?"

Fox grunted, still unable to move his arms. His only option was to remain calm, the way his father would have done. He wasn't dead and he wasn't terribly injured; Peppy once called him the 'renaissance fox' and McCloud wanted to live up to his expectations. "Do you still have your blaster?"

"It's beneath my right shoulder," she said. "Give me a minute… I'll do my best to get it out from beneath me."

"Wait," he returned with an unseen grin. Fox wiggled about until his head could reach hers. He used his nose to nudge the gun out from beneath her shoulder then pushed it down to her forearm, craning his neck to do so.

Fay took hold of the blaster and activated the small light beneath the barrel. She shined it towards McCloud then frowned. "That's quite a cut on your forehead, Fox."

He ignored her concern and nodded towards the floor. "Charge the blaster then punch a hole in the stairs."

She offered a wan smile. "The sooner we get off of these damn steps, the sooner my back will feel a lot better." She turned the gun about in her paws then brought the light to her own face. "Real quick, do I have any bad scrapes or cuts I can't see?"

"You're fine," Fox replied. He wiggled back, putting space between them. "Okay! Punch a hole in the floor. It'll be a start." He watched her position the gun directly above the floor; the white halo of light on the floor began to distort in coloration due to the particle buildup. The gun hummed in her paw, causing his ear to flicker from the sound of it. He shut his eyes and said, "Okay, _now!_"

Fay released the trigger. The gun bucked in her paw from the discharge and left a sizable hole in the concrete between them. She drew in a breath through her nose then expelled it into the dust cloud above her handiwork. "Not bad, but it's not big enough to get us out of here."

Fox wiggled back over and tilted his head so that he could peer through the opening. "What's your assessment so far?"

The canine gave a shrug and angled her head to better peer down into the hole. "Okay, now because we're alive on sub-section one, I'm going to assume that the staircase of sub-section 2 hasn't caved in, or we'd be down there, in pieces."

Fox smirked. "I'll buy that." He inhaled a deep breath then shouted into the hole, "Hey! Venom! Yo! Hey, I'm talking to you dickheads! We just totaled your base, you scaly-tailed rejects!"

"What are you doing?" Fay exclaimed.

"Watch and learn. First of all, can you reach your bow?"

"Yeah, Fox. Why?"

McCloud grinned again. "Take it out and tie the trigger down. Make the knot around the handle but make sure it's tight."

She opened her mouth to argue but nothing came out. Instead, she reached up for her bow, removed it from her short headfur, then slid it through the trigger guard. She looped it around the handle then pulled the fabric tight, causing the trigger to become depressed. The particle buildup began again; a bright green ball of light amassed at the tip of the barrel. She finished the knot then held the weapon out for his inspection. It continued to glow, charging from the depressed trigger.

"Perfect. Toss it down into the hole."

Fay gawked. "Do what?"

"Trust me! Do it," Fox instructed, canting his head towards the hole. "Get ready, though. We're getting ready to escape. Now, before you throw it down in there, open the small metal plate on the back end. Fay followed his instructions, listening intently to his words. "Break the blue wire with your teeth," he said.

She bit through the wire then gasped sharply at the sensation of being shocked. She released the glowing gun into the hole; it fell onto the staircase of the level beneath them. "It's going to be loud so brace yourself!"

Fay scrunched her shoulders up. She pressed the left side of her head against the nearest slab of debris while using her right shoulder to cover her right ear, the way one might do to hold a telephone receiver in place. She pressed her palms against _his_ ears, to protect his hearing since he was unable to move his arms yet. Ten feet below, the gun exploded on the staircase. It ruptured the concrete steps on the lower floor, blasting a hole straight through to the sewer line.

The explosion grabbed the attention of the surviving Venom guards, using the second sub-floor as a means for escape. Two lizards quickly approached the staircase with their guns drawn. Fox shouted down at them. "Hey, you! Guard!"

Two lizards peered up at the hole in the ceiling above them. Fox cleared his throat then added, "Your mother evolved hair on her fat scaly butt!" Both lizards lifted their rifles and opened fire on the hole in the concrete. Fox and Fay jerked their heads away from the hole which began to grow wider… the stress of the weight from above mixed with the stress of the blaster rounds from beneath caused the cement to crack.

"You're not going to kill us unless you power up your shots!" Fox roared. "What, couldn't you see that already? I mean, it's not like you can blink your eyes, so that tells me you're just blind… or maybe you're just stupid! It must be the genetics! Aren't lizards on the bottom of the chain of sentient life?"

Both lizards ceased fire to charge their blasters. They held the triggers in; a large blue proton ball glowed at the tips of their rifles. "You're going to pay for your insults, Papetoonian!"

"I'm from Corneria, ya bums!" chided Fox. "That's why I know I'm so much smarter than you! I heard you guys ruined your own environment because you're all too dumb to know pollution even if it smacked ya in the faces."

Both soldiers released their triggers; a concentrated double energy blast struck the ceiling of the second sub-section; the floor dropped out beneath Fox and Fay. Both of them aimed for the hole in the center of the steps, beneath them. Fox's plan worked - he used their weapon to blow a hole into the staircase. He then charged it, knowing that the older model would burst if the power-fluctuation safety wire was cut. It blew a hole through the lower staircase directly beneath. The hole lead to the sewer.

He taunted the soldiers until they were mad enough to shoot out the ceiling, causing Fox and Fay to fall from above. They dropped into the large gapping hole in the lower staircase and plummeted twenty-five feet into the sewers.

The pilots slammed into the murky sewer waters; a loud noise could be heard from above but Fox stayed under the water, looking up at the bright spot in the ceiling. The debris from the top basement staircase collapsed completely into the lower staircase. It crushed both lizards instantly.

Fox's head broke the grungy water's surface moments after. He looked up at the hole in the concrete high above them which grew dark as debris settled in the lower staircase.

Fay broke the surface next, gasping for air. "Holy crap! You shoulda' warned me that we'd be going for a swim!"

McCloud, treading water with his feet, looked up at the darkened hole in the sewer ceiling. Guffawing filled the sewage line; Fox couldn't help but laugh at how lucky he felt and how the blue-furred dream girl helped him to save his and his team member's lives. "Did you see how awesome that was?" he asked through the bellowing laughter. "We make a hole in the stairs, throw the gun down to the next level of steps, destroy it, then have enemy soldiers make the hole bigger for us. We fall down into the sewer beneath the lower staircase. Then we just swim our way out! That was pure genius!"

Fay rolled her eyes. "Well, well! I've never seen a team leader pat himself on the back so hard, Fox. Careful you don't sprain your paw, sweetheart."

"No, I didn't think of that plan," Fox replied. "This person told me to do it in my dream, while I was unconscious earlier. Their idea was pure genius! I can't believe it worked! I can't believe they were right! C'mon, we've gotta go find the rest of the guys."

"You're just full of excitement, aren't you?" Fay mused in a flat voice. "I'm right behind you," she added. Fox threw his arms out, going into a crawl stroke; Fay followed in the natural technique of swimming for her race… the doggy paddle.

* * *

**"A mission? For a chief test pilot?" **Fara Phoenix tilted her head at the new general then ran her fingertips through her short brown headfur. "What did you have in mind, Sir?" She placed her paws at the hem of her uniform shirt, gave a tug to free it of any wrinkles then folded her paws behind her back. 

Pepper leaned back in his new chair, sitting behind his new desk, and pointed a finger to a manila folder at the edge of it. "Have a look, Miss Phoenix. It's a _simple_ job and will be the _easiest_ thing you could ever hope to get paid doing."

Fara took the file into her paw, settled down in a nearby chair and thumbed the cover open. Her eyes panned from left to right then flitted back to the left, starting a new line. Pepper watched her facial expression grow into a wry grin. "Just a simple parcil you'll receive and take to the mayor of a small town on a small planet. I've not decided on the pick-up point, yet. Somewhere quiet and out of the way, like Meteor Land, or something. Sound's easy, huh?"

"It does," she replied with a nod of confirmation.

"Care for a sucker?" Pepper seemed to pull a lollypop from out of thin air, waving the candy around by the stick.

She tilted her head at the general then offered a dubious look. "How does the military even know that my father is going to be on that transport ship from Papetoon back to Corneria on that date?"

"We actually asked him to be on that transportation ship, because it would tighten security." Pepper withdrew the wrapper from the sucker and stuffed the green end into his muzzle. "Diabetes is no joke, Miss Phoenix. My blood-sugar level drops below sixty if I don't eat regularly." He saw the look of confusion cross Fara's face at the way he changed the subject. Pepper grinned and continued. "And how can a man always have an appetite with all the political drama surrounding him? If I don't eat or have something with sugar in it, I'll get lethargic, moody or sometimes faint. So I started eating sugar candy. Lollypops are the easiest thing to keep in your pocket, buy in bulk, and … well, I honestly love'em."

Fara nodded slowly. "But then after, say, a bowl of ice cream, you get a tad on the hyper side?" She canted her head a bit, looking back down at the folder.

"Sometimes. If I drink sugary liquids, I'll find myself walking out on the flight deck in an overly-jolly mood, telling pilots that they're lucky to have survived their uneventful patrols. They'll tell me that they didn't see any enemies and I'll break into laughter and walk away. It usually makes them glower but I doubt any of them have the gull to say anything." Pepper grinned. "Besides, they know I'm only joking anyhow."

Fara's eyes perused the words inside the folder, which detailed the information regarding her mission. It wouldn't be easy: She would have to obtain an encoded message and take it to Papetoon and ensure that it would be delivered to the receiving agent. She wasn't sure of any further details, but part of her wondered if the message was meant for the pilots Pepper wanted to hire. Fara still wanted to have the Venom Run, however. "How many lollypops have you had today?" Phoenix closed the file then folded her paws over her lap, looking pleasant.

The hefty hound offered a slight grin. "Let's just say I haven't felt tired for a single minute, today."

"I had a feeling," she replied then added, "Sir, I'm absolutely pleased that you've involved my father and his private security to escort me back to Papetoon in a family atmosphere that would easily confuse Venom intelligence but, if I may be so bold as to ask, I can't help but wonder _why_ Venom would be watching me?"

"Intelligence and counter-intelligence is its own beast," Pepper began. He shifted his weight then finished the candy and tossed the plastic stick into a wastebasket. "You're one of the first pilots to fly an Arwing. But, whether or not you realize this, you're also the _only_ one to have tested a Nova Bomb for us, thus far. With the massive shift in personnel, you're also the only pilot with access to the Nova Bombs without requiring a high ranking officer to be present. That makes you a target for people like…"

"…I remember him," she said with a flat voice. Fara's ears lowered and her smile disappeared. "But that foolishness got him killed. If Venom really wants to steal a Nova Bomb, they shouldn't send Cornerians who can be purchased to try and date the Chief Test Pilot. Why not just send an attack squad to _kidnap_ the Chief Test Pilot. They'd get more results if they tortured me than if they tried to bore me on crappy dates at three-star restaurants."

"They were probably breathing down the man's neck for results. After so many dates, he decided to attempt kidnapping you and it turned sour. Let's hope they don't just '_send an attack squad_', Miss Phoenix. But that's part of the reason we're sending you back to Corneria with your father. He has a highly qualified private security staff."

Fara placed the folder on Pepper's desk then leaned back in her chair. "Why not send Miyu with me? She's a Military Police officer and qualified to provide protection."

"Sending a soldier or an MP attracts attention. If their intelligence is trying to profile someone who is with you, they would find out that you have protection and assume you have something on you at that moment. They would spring into action and, believe me, there is no shortage of Lizard soldiers on Papetoon. I want this to be discrete. You'll drop the item into the supply crate, or hand it to the contact agent, then go shopping at the mall and be on Zerda Phoenix's ship by sundown. It'll bring you back to Corneria and no one will suspect a thing. Venom Intelligence will assume you're just traveling with family, which you're known to do from time to time."

"I am?" Fara blinked at the thought of being profiled.

"If it wasn't a known fact before, it is now." Pepper shrugged then told her, "The media did a cover story on you; you're the woman who brought to light the military secret. You caused me to get promoted in the most inconceivable loophole in recorded history. You're in the paper more than I am; people still think I'm a sergeant when I'm not wearing the uniform to prove otherwise. You're a celebrity and," he trailed off. John reached for a remote control on his desk, pointed at a wall monitor and activated the screen. Using the DVR function of the remote, he pulled up a pre-recorded newscast then proceeded to fast forward through the recording.

Fara quirked her brows but Pepper gestured her with a single finger. "Almost there. Give me just a second, Miss Phoenix." He cast a grin her way then smiled brightly. "Eureka; take a look."

Fara turned, glancing over her shoulder at the monitor behind her. Her eyes widened and her jaw went slack. "What! Are you kidding?" Her pupils shrunk to pinholes, glaring at the screen in shock. "Are these people serious?"

"Yes, I'm afraid you're currently Corneria's most popular eligible bachelorette." John Pepper cast a grin back in her direction. "That's what happens when your parents are rich and you made headlines as the soldier martyr who sacrificed her boyfriend to save Corneria's military from spies."

"I wasn't even dating him!" Fara exclaimed. "And I'm too career-minded to consider a real relationship!" The fennec appeared frustrated if not exasperated. "This is a farce! I'm more popular than the first man to ever become General right out of Officer's School? How did I _not_ know this?"

Pepper face-faulted, gazing at her while drawing another lollypop into his paw… seemingly from out of nowhere. "You're a celebrity, Fara Phoenix. It had to come to your attention eventually."

She opened her muzzle to argue with some random retort but no words came. After a short pause, she simply asked, "How do you keep doing that?" She stammered then pointed with her paw to his sleeve. "How many pieces of candy are up your sleeve, anyhow?"

"None," Pepper said, rolling his sleeves upwards. "Ever heard the term, 'faster than the eye perceives', Miss Phoenix? I keep them in my blazer pocket." Pepper cleverly segued into, "The reason we want a military celebrity to drop off this coded message is because I want all eyes on you so that my Arwing Squadron arrives in secrecy. Faster than their eyes will perceive. No one will notice they even exist if you're in the general area, so get used to it. I'll have you crash-course trained on how to operate detection equipment. That way you can remove any bugs placed in your quarters on the ship."

"Thank goodness. I shutter at the thought of Venom voyeurs." She glanced back at the television and cringed at the frozen-frame shot of her walking out of a store with a shopping bag. "I look so… hoity-toity. Everyone knows my father is wealthy and so they have to show me walking out of a _store_."

"They're describing you as the '_posh, svelte vixen bachelorette._' It's really started a craze. Don't worry, I'm sure it's short lived."

Fara narrowed her gaze at the television. "What kind of craze?"

Pepper unwrapped the sugar candy and said, "The latest issue of PlayFox has models dressed in military fatigues on one page and officer's uniforms on the next. _That_ kind of craze. Like I said, it'll be short lived. If this squadron uses the Arwings to defeat Andross then _that_ becomes the new cover story."

Fara winced at his answer then nodded in reply to the statement concerning the victory over Andross. "I'd better train them to be the best, then."

"I agree. There's only one problem." Pepper frowned thoughtfully and stuffed the candy into his right cheek. "We've tried three times to get a'hold of these boys; I think the Communications Cartel hasn't received a payment from them. We don't know where they're at on Papetoon. All we know is that they're gaining a notorious name. Venom merchants and soldiers alike hold this group in very low regard. They're infamous pirates as far as 'Imperial' Venom is concerned."

Fara, having her suspicions confirmed, balked at the idea of putting a pirate in an Arwing. "You're hiring _rogues_ to fly the Arwing?" Fara folded her arms over her torso, just beneath her bosom. "And just _who_ is this Dangerous Desperado?"

"I can't give you his name." Pepper forced a weak smile.

She frowned in reply. "Can't compromise the agents in the field, Sir? Don't worry, if I'm captured and tortured, I wouldn't tell them about this person."

"It's procedure, Miss Phoenix." Pepper bit into the lollypop then tossed the stick into the wastebasket and said, "There is nothing you can do for now, anyhow. This mission doesn't take place until we have enough Arwings for them to complete the mission. That will be at least three more months. Four at the most."

"But why rogues, sir? What about the Delta Test Squadron?"

Pepper fished out a file and opened it. Inside, there were four photographs of the Delta Test Squadron pilots. Two of the pictures slid out and landed on his desk. Fara peered down at the pig and green-feathered duck then glanced back up at Pepper. "What's wrong with those four pilots?"

"They couldn't handle piloting the Arwings," Pepper replied. His flat voice caused Fara's ears to lower. He added, "This orange-furred fellow, here - a hybrid dog-fox named Leonard, couldn't even handle the barrel roll capabilities of the Arwing. It made him sick with dizziness. And this poor chum," continued Pepper, looking at the other photograph in his folder, "The blonde gentleman with the small horns... His stocky stature disallowed him to fit inside the compact cockpit of the prototype Arwing. We'll make the cockpit larger, soon. We even have planning designs to allow for supplies and gear to be stowed behind the seats on the later models. But this poor guy needed the help of his fellow avian pilot to get him back out after a practice run, once."

The fennec picked up the other two photos on the desk and handed them back to the new General. "What makes you think these rogue pilots will do any better? It even took me a little time to adjust to the high-speed rotating visual when going through a double barrel roll. I don't use it as much as I should but I'm quiet taken to it, now. You'd have to have aced the gravity tests as a child to be prepared for that sort of spin as an adult."

"Who's to say that the leader of this bandit squadron hasn't don't exactly that?" Pepper returned. He raised his eyebrow to accent the inquiry offered to her then added, "I personally rejected Delta Test Squad. I'd have given the greenlight to you and your friends but one of those pilots is still only a recruite. The other was transferred to Military Police status because her superior officer felt she was a little reckless to handle an expensive machine. ...Something about Miss Miyu doing a buzz-pass through a courtyard full of touring journalists, during her final exam? And yet she scored a perfect on all the other test elements... Very interesting; I wonder if you'll be able to control her?"

Fara nodded and stood from her seat. "Understood, General. Am I dismissed?"

"Yes, you can go." Pepper cleared his throat, drew in a slow breath then said, "Don't be rude to the media. Smile and be polite. You don't want to give them the wrong impression. They already think you're daddy's rich girl who goes shopping; don't let them think you're cold or callous, Fara."

"I won't give them the wrong impression. How long in advance will you give me before sending me on the mission?"

"Clear your schedule," Pepper replied. "To keep Venom Intelligence from getting too close, we'll contact you on the same day we have you head to Papetoon. But we're not ready because we don't have all the Arwings yet. For the time being, we can hopefully hold Venom off with political negotiations. They've stayed away from Fortuna, Katina and Corneria and that's the most we can hope for; it's good enough at the moment."

"I understand, Sir." Fara saluted her superior officer then left the room.

* * *

**Falco knelt down, blaster in hand**. He narrowed his eyes and turned to Slippy then whispered, "Did you hear that?" The avian offered in a smirk in reply to Slippy's nod. Lombardi clamped his beak and squinted into the darkness. 

"Peppy should be on the other side of this wall," Slippy added in a hushed tone. "But the transponder is acting up."

"How so?"

Slippy frowned, peered around the corner then sighed. He drew in a deep breath and, keeping his voice soft, said, "The indicator claims he's moving, which started almost the second we stopped walking. Do you think he escaped on his own?"

Falco held his weapon out at arm's length. He peered down the muzzle then replied in a flat tone. "That wasn't part of the plan, so just be quiet and stay frosty."

"You're so f-facetious sometimes." Slippy drew his own weapon to the ready.

With a groan the avian said, "No offence, but Slippy Toad and _fancy words_ just don't mix. Unless it's an engine part, don't try talking with big, smart, fancy sounding words. Just trust me, okay? It's not your thing."

Slippy closed his free hand into a fist, looking frustrated. "Shut up, Falco."

A splashing sound came from further down the tunnel. Both Slippy and Falco peered around the corner but couldn't see anything. The splash came once more followed by a feminine giggle. Fay's soft voice echoed off the walls. "No, but I'll never forget how the collapse of an entire building saved us from several hundred armed guards."

Falco's beak dropped wide open. He flipped the safety switch on his weapon and stormed off down the walkway, parallel to the sewage flow at the center of the tunnel. He approached Fox McCloud who happened to be facing the other direction. Smooth blue feathers wrapped around Fox's collar; Lombardi slammed the vulpine up against the wall. "What the hell did we make a plan for if you're going to go changing it? Slippy and I followed every detail to the letter!" The exasperated avian continued, "I'm down here, blowing away, like, a thousand dudes, and what do _you_ do? You steal my thunder and drop an entire building on _ten thousand_ dudes. You… asshole!"

Fox shoved the shadowy figure away from himself but Falco resisted, slamming Fox back up against the bulkhead a second time. "You're a glory hog. We're risking our butts out here for hardly pennies on the dollar and all you want is fame and to make the biggest explosion. No, Fox, you're the _leader_ of the team. Making the biggest boom is _my_ forte, dammit. Stop stealing my thunder."

"Give it a rest," the vulpine snapped, giving Falco another hard push. The falcon jerked his body back towards McCloud; he cocked his fist and launched it forward. His knuckles made contact with Fox's muzzle and, in return, Fox brought his knee up into Falco's gut. The ensuing scuffle brought both teenagers into the sewage water with a loud splash.

Fox took another strike to the muzzle then threw a jab of his own. Their angry splashing sounds echoed off of the hallway walls. The sandy-furred pilot exclaimed, "I don't know why I didn't leave your ass on the street!"

"Why I oughta… You _need_ me, you son of a…"

Before Falco could finish his statement, both boys gasped in surprise at the sensation of having two very strong paws grip them by their shirt collars. Both Fox and Falco were shoved against a nearby wall, opposite of Fay and Slippy who watched in horror as Peppy silenced both young pilots.

"I'm not even going to _ask_ what the hell is going on here," he began. "If either of you can't get your priorities straight, neither of you are _ready_ to be here. I'm putting my life on the line without receiving a paycheck! I have a _wife_ and a _daughter_ that I plan on seeing again very soon! If you two don't straighten up _right now_, you'll _both_ wind up in the streets. Am I understood? Quit dinkin' around!" Peppy stifled both of them from replying by careful placement of his paw against both teenagers' bottom jaw.

He took a long, slow breath then, in a calm tone, he continued the lecture. "I didn't mean to yell at either of you. You two can act like fire and water, sometimes. I'm frustrated because I thought you were both killed when that building collapsed. I get all upset, I break out when the guards evacuate, and then I find you both here, fighting. I'm supposed to be the mediator, not a referee. Get it together, guys."

Fox ran his fingers through his headfur and swiveled his head towards Falco. "When did you say those parts would be delivered?" His question was in regard to the intercepted radio transmission that Falco had Slippy play over Fox's headset, earlier. There would be enough parts to repair and restore GreatFox, with no problems.

"It's gonna be a while," replied Falco with a sigh. "It's not any time soon. Next season."

"Fair enough," Fox muttered. "We've got Peppy, we've brought down one of the two towers and this depot is nearly in ruins. I've decided we're not going to finish trashing this base."

"What!" Falco reproached Fox with his winged arms folded across his chest. "Are you insane?"

McCloud narrowed his eyes. "Shut up; if we total this base, they'll move on and we'll start from scratch. The shipping lanes won't be near us anymore and we won't be able to be as effective."

"He has a point," Peppy chimed in.

"Yeah, I have to agree," said Toad. "Doing what we've done so far – basically crippling their operation – WILL slow them down and help out this sector, but if we take them completely out, we lose the ability to rebuild GreatFox, which will ultimately be a greater benefit to us in helping p-p-Papetoon. Also, if they stop shipping supplies through this sector, let alone parts… well, _no business_ in this area does far less good for this sector than if we allow these scumbags to operate, so that we can c-c-continue to take things from them."

Fox sighed in a measure of disappointment and glanced back at Falco. He cut his gaze to Slippy and ended on Peppy then cleared his throat. "I've deemed this operation _too_ dangerous for five people to accomplish, without professional mercenary equipment."

"So that's it, then?" Falco shook his head with a grumble. "We just pack up and leave, like cowards."

"No, Falco," said McCloud in a calm voice. He shook his head and said, "We go home and we practice. We begin training. We get ourselves in peak condition, so that when the time comes again, no one is _almost_ killed. We come in here and there's a plan and we all work well together. We come in here and we succeed. We get the parts for GreatFox and put it together, then we come back and punch a hole through the Venom supply lines. When that's done, we'll practically take this planet back without any force."

Peppy turned to Fay and offered her a slight smile. "We're leaving through the sewer lines. Everyone needs a blaster from here on out. We're evacuating and so are they. They'll most likely see us when we emerge from the drainage. If they do, whoever is out in the evacuation field will probably try to shoot at us. So we'll have to fight our way out."

"Sounds difficult," said Fay in reply. She approached Slippy and took a blaster from him. She took a second then passed it to Fox McCloud. "What's our success rate by the number?"

"Actually, it's very favorable," Peppy replied. "Since everyone else broke the plan, I decided to do it, too. On my way here, I set up a diversion." The hare lifted his left wrist and peered at his watch. "We'd better hurry. Let's go everyone… into the sewage."

The group grumbled but they all descended into the waist-deep river of sludge. "Follow Slippy," said Fox with a firm voice. "He's going to make the best point-man for this escape because he's already come this way to get here."

Toad frowned then shrugged. "And it gets a little deeper, further up."

Minutes later, the group emerged at the sewage grating. They approached the bars and everyone took hold of a metal portion of the grating. On Fox's command, they all lifted at once, easing the metal up by its bars. The group successfully brought the circular cover off of its supports and released it.

"This isn't the one we were supposed to exit through," said Falco with a sigh. "Did you take us the wrong way, froggie? Where are our hang gliders? Did you get lost or something?"

"N-No Falco!" Slippy retorted. "We went out the way that… n-never mind, Falco. Just forget it, geeze."

Peppy put a paw on the avian's shoulder and said, "By now, there are about three hundred armed soldiers by our entry-point. They're all waiting for us to exit there, get our gear and leave. We're going out the back way, then a freighter ship will be leaving on autopilot, near that part of the base. That greatly reduces how much resistance we encounter on the way out."

"Boring," returned the blue-feathered pilot.

"You there!" shouted a soldier. "Stop!"

"You were saying?" Falco retorted, drawing his blaster. "See? People were waiting for us and now we _don't_ have a ride, either."

"Shut up," Fox grumbled. "It's a few guys; we can take care of these morons!" McCloud opened fire with his weapon, pinning down a small squadron of guards at the rear entrance to the depot.

"Yeah, whatever," Falco said with a snarky laugh. "You're just mad because the plan fell apart and you're frustrated and there is a girl watching."

"Oh hush," Fay said, shoving Falco aside. "Let me show you how it's done." She opened fire with her blaster and dashed out to where the lizards were attempting to fortify their position. One of the reptiles leapt out of his hiding place and swung his rifle at Fay but she was ready for it. She lifted her blaster and blocked his attack then brought her leg up into his gut. She threw her left paw out and smacked the scaled guard across his face.

Peppy jumped into the action as well, head on. He kicked out a nearby lizard's knees then threw a low punch, knocking out the soldier. He grappled with another then pushed the lizard towards Fox who immediately head-butted the lizard which rendered the guard unconscious.

"This is what I'm talking about!" Slippy said with a grin. "This is why I left Corneria… We're totally kicking their…" He trailed off into a shout of surprise, with a pair of reptilian arms sliding around his neck from behind. Slippy dropped his arms and accidentally fired his gun. The blaster shot sliced through the lizard's leg, dropping him to the ground. Falco came from behind and stomped on the guard's forehead.

"That was a slick way of getting away from him," Falco told the frog.

"Y-yeah… th-thanks, Falco." Slippy turned back to the fray and opened fire to pin down another lizard who attempted to get the drop on Peppy.

Fox, with a blaster in his right paw, turned to Fay, holding a lizard in his left paw by the scruff of its neck. She kicked her leg out and struck McCloud's opponent then whirled back around to her own enemy. Fox fired a blaster shot into the leg of the guy that Peppy was fighting then thrust his left paw down and buried his opponent's face into the concrete ground.

"Dammit, I want in on this," Falco said, storming into the middle of the group. He grabbed two lizards by their necks and then brought his arms together, slamming their heads into one another. He dropped both lizards to the ground then swung his blaster out. He struck the next guard across the face then swung his weapon again, hitting the same man in the jaw a second time. The reptile staggered back two steps before crashing to the dirt.

Captain Adler of the Black Operations unit leapt off of the catwalk from above and dropped in on the group. "Well, well! We meet again, and you managed to rescue the rabbit!" He hissed then trailed into the word, "S-s-sorry to disappoint you, but your little diversion didn't work on _me_." He drew a high power machinegun and opened fire. The StarFox team dashed for cover as hot particle rounds ripped through the remaining lizard guards and empty metal supply barrels that littered the area. Crates of empty containers came unstacked and tumbled to the ground with a loud clattering noise.

"This is your last rescue mission, as far as I'm concerned," exclaimed Adler. "You and your band of clowns are going to pay for…" He drew off into a pause… "What in the hell…?" His eyes zeroed in on a large freighter at the other end of the Depot, wavering wildly out of control. It approached the group, crashing into supply crates and small vehicles throughout the yard. Parts and pieces of the collapsed building littered the top of the freighter, weighing it down so that the bottom brushed against the concrete ground. "…It's out of control!" Adler shouted, moving to take cover from the runaway ship.

"That's my other diversion," replied Peppy in a calm voice to the rest of the team. "Scatter, you guys!"

"You don't have to tell ME twice!" Falco chimed in. He broke into a sprint, heading for the main rear gate. Fox, keeping pace alongside of Falco, aimed his weapon for the gate release switch, while in a full run.

"You'll never hit it from here, Fox!" Falco glanced over his shoulder and saw the other three right behind them. He then added, "I'm the only…"

Fox fired his blaster and hit its mark. The gate swung open with a loud clang. They hurried across the yard then passed through the iron wrought exit with no problems. Falco broke into soft laughter and told the fox, "I take that back! Nice job, 'Sure Shot!' Now we just gotta get back to the hills!"

"That will be Team StarFox's hat-trick of the night," Fox replied between breaths. The group maintained their exhausting run out of the depot center and into the open valley. Without warning, an explosion rocked the far end of the base. It created a massive fireball which illuminated the entire field for a brief moment.

"Geeze laweeze, what was _that_?" shouted Falco as they ran.

Peppy, still quick for being middle-aged, called up to Fox and Falco. "Destroying evidence of our involvement!" He increased the speed of his sprint and came between the two teenagers. "I set its course for the security office then packed its engine core with fuel canisters, so that the engines would explode on contact."

"You had the time to pull _all_ that off, old man?" Falco cried as the team continued for the hills at the edge of the valley.

They came to the foothills of the mountain pass, where their hover bikes were waiting. The group came to a stop, panting from the grueling run. All five of them glanced back at the depot in the valley. Peppy took a deep breath to calm himself then said, "I'm the professional; you're the rookie, Falco. I know you have a problem taking orders from a superior but maybe if I earn everyone's respect, it'll be easier… I just need to prove that I know what I'm talking about."

"Hell, I'm impressed," Falco said, still panting between each word. "That was freakin' bad ass, ya' old coot."

"And don't you forget it," Peppy replied with a tired grin. "Let's go home… I think we're due for a short break, don't you?"

* * *

Three Months Later…

**Captain Adler closed his scaly hand into a fist**. "I'm not even really here," he said with a sigh. "I'm on a mission and my s-s-status is classified. I'll need a group of your men; trustworthy ones."

"Of course, Captain, I'll send for a group of ten," replied the commander of the C-07, the largest freighter in the front-line fleet. Adler wasn't concerned with the commander's name, either. He kept his eyes on the large view-shield window at the front of the bridge. Papetoon took on a red coloration from the heat of the atmosphere. He cut his eyes back to the commander who continued to speak, saying, "…these men are. We've had problems with some sort of pirates. These raiders are relentless and rumor has it that there're s-s-several dozen to contend with."

Adler rolled his eyes. "I'll only need five men," he said, trailing off into a subtle hissing sound. "Your fabled pirates are numbered at four rag tag men but my mission does _not_ take place on Papetoon."

"Four men?" the commander exclaimed. "Surely you're mistaken! Their s-small army trumped one of our largest depots in the upper hemisphere!"

Adler narrowed his eyes. "They were lucky; they have a shrewd leader …and yet he's just a child. They're all children, save for one – a combat veteran who apparently _quit_ the Cornerian Military." The vertical slits of his pupils narrowed and his jaw tightened. His bright amber gaze seemed to glow but merely held the reflection of the scarlet light which filled the bridge from entry into the atmosphere.

"You've researched them?" The commander sighed in frustration. "This is s-s-stupid! They're probably down there, ready to ambush our ship, Captain!"

Adler's gaze softened. "We're not carrying s-supplies on this ship. What would they need with metal and electronics equipment?" He paused then approached the helmsman. He knelt down besides the seated reptile and whispered into the man's ear.

"What is your name, pilot?" Adler held a harsh, hushed tone.

"Camen, Sir! Piloting this freighter to Papetoon is part of my flight academy's final exam."

"And if you return to Venom alive, you get to fly in the Area-6 Defense parameter. Yes, I'm the one who designed that part of the academy's exam. All you have to do is make it back alive. Are you scared?"

Camen shook his head. "No! Absolutely not! There are no problems here. One of my classmates was sent to pilot a supply ship on the front line; Papetoon will be a breeze."

Adler smirked. "I once sent a recruit to a final exam on Macbeth. He thought it would be easy… piloting a Lumber Cutter to remove the Birnam Wood for our massive Fuel Bunker, located on that planet. Just like you, he thought it would be a breeze."

"W-what happened to him?" Camen shifted his weight with a nervous look on his face. "Did he die?"

The captain, satisfied with his mind game, said, "He's a Major in the Area-6 defense guard. Still, just because things seem easy doesn't mean they will be. If you make it back to Venom alive, you pass. That's all the exam requires. Good luck, Lieutenant Junior-Grade Camen."

"Thank you, Sir. Is there anything else I should know, Captain?"

The reptile nodded then leaned in closer and, in a hushed tone, whispered, "There is a name I want you to remember. He's ruthless and if he attacks this ship, it just means he's desperate. His name is Fox McCloud. I want you to open a channel to me if he attacks you. Knowing his whereabouts is crucial, because I want to know that he is preoccupied. If you come under attack then your orders are to open a channel to _this_ frequency but don't address me by name, directly." Adler took the man's hand and, with a writing utensil, scrawled the frequency to his headset communicator on the helmsman's palm. "Now you can't lose it. If you come face to face with these pirates, tell them that the game is _not_ over, yet."

The captain stood up and approached the bridge commander with a firm nod. "Your orders are to drop me off at the Papetoon Interplanetary Airport. I have a Phoenix Corporate transporter to catch, Commander. Don't go landing in the desert like you normally do. Remember, no one is to know I'm here. Tell your bridge crew to keep their mouths shut."

Adler stepped off of the bridge. Within minutes, the freighter received clearance from the control tower of the Interplanetary Airport. Adler departed from the freighter with five other men. They each picked up several crates and carried them across the loading dock to a large ramp. Blending in with the loading crew, the five lizards made their way through the cargo hold, down through the belly of the largest transporter in the Phoenix Airspace and Freight Company fleet.

The captain of the group put his crate on the ground and the other five men did the same. They headed to the front of the hold and stowed away into several large containers, pre-arranged to be shipped from Papetoon to a fraudulent address on Corneria. Each box contained weapons necessary for Adler and his men to finish their mission. Once the men were secured, Adler made himself comfortable in his container. He withdrew a small penlight from his left pocket and a small photograph from his right.

Adler pointed the light at the photograph and took a few minutes to study the image. A fairly young fennec vixen stood at attention in the picture. She wore a jumpsuit and a pilot's jacket, as well as a unique purple headset communicator. In the photo, she also held a model aircraft which resembled the new Cornerian Prototype fighter. He recognized the fighter from the blueprints that he'd been ordered to steal last season.

* * *

An hour later…

Several Kilometers west of the Papetoon Interplanetary Airport.

x

**The C-07 Mega-Freighter** rumbled into the Merchant's Canyon supply corridor. The behemoth ship hovered twelve feet from the rocky Papetoon surface. The front-mounted exterior engine props pushed a deep blue flame from the large boosters encased inside of the prop manifold. Stabilizer wings, ten feet beneath the engine boosters, shifted to stabilize their altitude.

The hydraulic machines used to lower and raise the center-mounted wings groaned softly. The flaps in the tail-mounted spoiler adjusted for optimum flight stability. "Any problems?" asked the Commander.

"Camen here," replied the helmsman. "No problems." The lizard watched as his commanding officers walked to the front of the bridge and sat down at the sensor controls. The terminal was adorned in fancy looking digital fader bars, small square keypads and other high-tech looking buttons and doodads. A square monitor in the center of the panel showed that the only metal object within ten miles was the half-buried remains of the C-05 freighter, further out in the valley path. Camen could see the controls over his Commander's shoulder, because the helm dashboard sat a half-meter higher.

"Good, Camen. Not that we have much to worry about, anyhow. Captain Adler said that there are less than half-a-dozen men to contend with. Besides, they're all children. We're not even carrying much in the way of necessary supplies."

"As far as I'm concerned," said Camen, "This planet is under _our_ control. Those pirates are of no matter."

Without warning, the ship shuttered hard. The bridge became dark, due to a sudden loss in energy. The engine boosters up at the front of the ship died out; smoke billowed out of the exhaust ports. Moments later, an explosion rocked the ship wildly. Camen scrambled to keep control of the super-freighter.

Seconds after the first detonation, a second one occurred. Auxiliary power generators, located beneath the bridge, came to life and bathed the control room in a deep red color. Camen pounded his fist on the control panel. "I can't believe this! We've lost power to our engines. What's going on?"

"Hail the all-frequencies channel!" said the Commander.

Camen opened two simultaneous channels. One was on short-wave to the pirates in the area. The other channel he opened belonged to the numerical frequency written on his palm. He cleared his throat then said, "Attention, this is the Freighter C-07! This is Lieutenant J.G. Camen, here. Our engine boosters have burst, following a loss of all power! We're only carrying enough supplies for the crew of this ship. We require Imperial assistance!"

A cocky voice came over the radio in reply. "Yeah? This is Falco Lombardi and you can just shut up, pal."

"Your little game is _not_ yet over, space trash!" shouted Camen. He smirked at the Commander and added, "We're about to pass over the remains of the C-05, Sir. I'm going to try and guide us down, to see if I can crush them in between our belly at the remains of the old freighter." He eased down on the flight controls.

"No!" the commander shouted. "If you bottom out, you could inadvertently tear a hole in the hull! Pull up, you moron!"

Camen jerked back up on the controls. "What were those explosions? Have they attacked us with bazookas?" A powerful concussive force caused the C-07 to shift hard to starboard. The portside hull received another powerful blow, causing the ship to jar wildly to the left. "…Wait, what was _that_? What's going on? I'm losing control, Commander; I'm getting damage report listings on most decks! Damage control and casualty lists are trying to populate on my screen, stand by!" The bridge lighting flickered again then the deep red illumination resumed.

The Commander turned in his chair and shouted at Camen, "We are _under attack!_ I thought this-s-s planet was under _our control_." The commander's tone turned sarcastic on the last two words.

Camen swallowed the lump growing in his throat. The young reptile, eyes wide, recalled aloud the words that Captain Adler had told him. "Only _one_ pirate could be so _des-s-sperate_. Fox McCloud!"

* * *

Author's Note: _Okay, we'll start with Desperado, from the Comic, but I'll only stick to the Nintendo Power comic until… around Issue 4. After that, I plan to break away from the comic and follow the game series. I'll use little parts and pieces from the other comics, but I will not base Reflections of Fox McCloud on the entire StarFox Comic. The next chapter, which I'm working on now, will span from Desperado, through Silver Wings, and into The Thrill Is Gone. _

_Also, I've had incredible computer problems as of late. I'm considering the purchase of an inexpensive low-end notebook from Apple. Just so I can write and publish stuff to the web without any problems. I'm keeping my PC stuff, because that's how I game and how I roll, but I'm frustrated and fed up with losing files when I'm writing. Reliability cannot come at the cost of the Hacker Déjour's latest program that came coded into a picture in a popup message that finds its way into my temporary internet files just long enough for the program to take hold. I'm tired of that crap. Don't get me wrong, I love windows and all, but I'm tired of losing my work. It's happened 4 times in 3 years. That's crap._

_I lost half of this chapter, because I had four pages worth highlighted to use the spell checker… suddenly the computer locks up and the WordPad recovery mysteriously didn't have four freakin' pages… Pages that were saved ages ago. _

_Needless to say, I was pissed. _

_Anyhow, the chapter is finally done. I have to start re-writing chapter 23 of New Generation, as well as the latest chapter of Spy Cooper. Both of those chapters were in open sessions of Microsoft Word, when the crash happened. They're both gone and need to be re-started from scratch. FOOEY! _

_Anyway, catch ya later. _

_-Kit _


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter -7-  
"DESPERADO"

**The 'Meteor Land' Amusement Park…  
**An artificial asteroid in the Meteo Belt asteroid strip…

x

_Six hours ago_…

**Fara Marie Phoenix stood at the abandoned gate** of the main entrance. She glanced over her shoulder at the empty parking lot then lifted her head to gaze upon the small boxy ship lifting into the artificial atmosphere. Now alone, she turned her smooth green eyes back to the empty amusement park gate and sighed.

Those jade hues moved about, taking in her situation at a glance. The main gates towered three stories high and stretched for miles in either direction. The vacant parking lot stretched for what seemed like forever to her left, right and behind her. Above, she could see nearby asteroids, the size of her thumb nail. Occasionally, one would brush against the artificial atmosphere, creating a gentle flash akin to lightning. "An abandoned theme park built on a large asteroid in the middle of the Meteo Belt; why does this feel like something out of a cheesy 'B' rated horror movie?"

The fennec looked down at the blaster in her paw. The power adjustment switch displayed "Vaporize", the highest possible setting. Her eyes lifted to the sign above the bars of the main entrance. "METEOR LAND", scrawled across the top in neon lettering, greeted her with a colorful but un-illuminated display. She eased her lithe form between two bars and slid through the gap with care.

The ominous park, dark and laden with foreboding, stretched out before her. She walked to the end of the admission center then located a path that lead into the heart of the park. In passing, she was quick to notice that each ride had been covered with tarps. The bushes were overgrown and in need of hedge work. The concrete paths were cracked and weeds grew up in various places.

She reached up to the lavender headset, touched the button then said the word, "General." Static filled the earpiece to indicate that the encryption software was activating. After a moment, a gruff voice replied on the other line. She cleared her throat and said, "I'm here. There is no sign of the contact, Sir."

Pepper's voice came over her headset in reply. "Stand by, I'm going to try and reach the agent." A small two-tone chime beeped over Fara's earpiece to indicate the channel closed. She glanced around herself then approached a tarp-covered concession stand. She unattached the corner and lifted the tarp to peek beneath. Clean snowball making equipment, from ice shavers to syrup dispensers, lined a shelf in direct line of sight through the window. Her headset beeped again, startling her.

"Fara here," she said.

Worry filled Pepper's voice. "I can't reach the contact who is supposed to meet you. Can you procure a map of the theme park?"

Fara took a moment to look through the concession stand window then smiled. "Affirmative, Sir. Stand by." She wiggled her way under the tarp and followed the concession booth around, beneath the plastic coat until she arrived in front of the stand's door. The fennec turned her blaster about and struck the glass with the handle. She used the barrel to clear out the broken shards then reached in and unlocked the door. Phoenix let herself in and approached a cartoon-looking map on the wall. The guest centers were all well marked, so that the concession staff could give visitors directions. "I see where I am, near the gates. Where is the secondary checkpoint for Plan B?"

"The maintenance shed near the park's largest rollercoaster is where he was supposed to wait until you arrived. Start by checking the shed."

"I'm on it, General." Fara plotted her route and committed the general layout of the park to her memory. She then added, "The air should be far more stale, Sir. Someone has stirred the park's oxygen recycling tanks very recently. Would this contact do something like that?"

"No," replied Pepper. "This guy is a professional. He wouldn't do anything to make his presence known. You're right, that air should be _very_ stale. The last time those tanks have been stirred was at least eleven months ago, when the park fell into disuse. Keep your eyes open."

"I won't blink, Sir." Fara let herself out of the booth and wiggled back out from beneath the tarp. She re-secured the loose flap then said, "I feel good; feel strong, Sir. I'm going to exercise Radio Silence unless I find something, Sir. I want to keep a low profile, after all."

"Your precautionary action is approved. Contact us if you run into trouble. If we don't hear from you in one hour, I'll send S and R."

"Search and Rescue won't be necessary," Fara replied with a sheepish grin. "I know I'm not Special Forces but I think I can handle myself. When I retrieve this message, I'll head to the extraction point, pick up the shuttle and go to Papetoon."

"That shuttle will be tricky to pilot, Miss Phoenix. We designed it with minimal instrumentation, so that it's electronically invisible to enemies."

Fara grinned again. "I'm the Chief Test Pilot, Sir. If it has the power to lift off the ground, I can fly it, General. My natural bearings are _spot on_; I'll make it to Papetoon with or without extensive navigation systems. All right, I'm heading into the park."

Pepper returned, "Understood. Take care of yourself. Watch for security droids. The security should be disabled but expect the unexpected in reply to this strange change of plans."

"Copy, Sir. Fara out." She reached up and touched a button on her headset. The two-tone beep played over the earpiece. She shifted her gaze to the main path which lead into the heart of the theme park. The sandy-furred vixen held her blaster at the ready and began walking. Rides were locked down and covered with tarps. She passed a pavilion designed for bumper cars; a row of 15 tarp-covered objects at the far end of the metallic-floored pergola resembled a line of vehicles. Their towering antennas, designed to touch the metal ceiling for power, were wrapped up in some sort of fabric.

Further down the path, she passed a merry-go-round. Each of the pole-supported carts had been removed. The empty round gazelle, bathed in soft orange self-powered security lighting, brought a smile to Fara's muzzle. She paused in the large open area and counted the number of offshoot paths that led into the centralized hub.

After taking a moment to recall the map she saw, she turned to her left and followed another dark footpath. The trail soon turned into a wooden bridge. A large half-pipe, now void of water, passed beneath it. A sign on the bridge rail read, "Warning, pedestrians subject to splash from the Log Flume Ride. Please be advised to stow small electronic devices. Parents with small infants are advised to cross by means of the higher bridge, on the L-2 walking path." Fara noted a map, directing pedestrian traffic to another bridge. Grand lettering on the wooden arches above read, "Now entering: _Rollercoaster Alley!_"

The lack of water beneath the bridge brought another wry grin to the fennec's muzzle. She continued down the path; large rollercoaster tracks spiraled into the heavens up ahead. They towered above trees that lined the path. She continued in the direction of the tallest coaster then located the maintenance house beneath the boarding deck. Fara used her blaster to destroy the lock then entered the shed.

"General, Fara here; the shed was locked – no sign of anyone."

"What do you see?" replied the hound over her headset.

"A lot of pipes on the far wall, a metal box on the opposite wall," said Fara.

"The pipes are filter-access points for the aqueducts system. That's why those trees are still getting water. It irrigates the soil beneath the walkways, which is why you would have had any oxygen at all, had those oxygen tanks not been stirred. The fact that it's not stale air tells me that something is going on there. Those trees should be struggling from a lack of carbon dioxide. It's possible that Meteor Land isn't as secure as I was led to believe." Pepper cleared his throat before adding, "The panel is the fuse relay for the nearest rollercoaster. Your transponder beacon is directly atop of the privateer's signal on our map."

"Live satellite feed, Sir?"

"Yes," said Pepper. "You should be staring him right in the face."

Fara switched on the high-power flashlight attached to her blaster. The illumination filled the shed. A white halo of light shined off of a fresh red splatter on the back wall. Fara pointed the gun down; the beam of light passed over a furry arm. She winced, turning towards the entrance. She'd not smelled the blood before but now the pungent odor filled her nose.

"General, either he's been dismembered, or they were too lazy to simply _remove_ his computerized wristband."

"Pardon?" Pepper sounded bewildered.

Fara took a deep breath before speaking. "Someone hacked off his arm; his locator is still on his wrist, his forearm is still in the shed. But the rest of him isn't _here_." She accented the last word to voice her frustration and disgust. "May I please have permission to speak frankly, Sir?"

"Granted," said the hound.

Fara's voice remained surprisingly composed. "_Shit_." Surprised by her own tirade, she continued regardless. "Goddess-damn this; this is a sick joke – someone's limb on the floor of a maintenance shed at an abandoned theme park. If you have live satellite feed, why the hell couldn't you detect another presence at this park? I need to know what I'm up against." She took another deep breath, sighed in frustration, then said, "Thank you for humoring my invective rant; I'm standing here with a severed _arm_." She took another long, slow breath, in through her nose and out through her mouth. "It smells _very_ fresh, General."

"Are you calm now?"

"I don't lose my cool," she replied with a forced half-smile. "I just needed to get that out; it's my first _body_ _part_ in the field of battle, Sir. I just needed to get out the frustration I felt in seeing it. Please pardon my …ah, _diatribe_. It wasn't discourse directed at _you_, General, Sir." Not the smartest thing she'd ever done; who in their right mind had the gull to lose their tongue to a General?

"Understood; I'll dismiss your vituperative outburst, Miss Phoenix. Is there a blood trail leading out of the maintenance shed?" His accepting reply caused relief to course through her body.

Fara flashed her light around the shed once more while explaining, "I would have noticed it on approach; I can only assume the perpetrator put the lock on the shed door after removing the agent, minus one arm. The amount of blood on the wall does _not_ suggest that this contact lost _more_ than his arm during the initial attack."

"We're checking the satellite feed now, stand by." She then overheard him giving orders to a team of subordinate officers. "Zoom back, Lieutenant. I want to see a larger section of that area. Major, partition the screen so that everything the Lieutenant pulls up will be on the left; keep a zoom of our pilot on the right side. Also, start scanning the area for bio signs if you're able. Any heat signatures? …Hmm."

Fara deactivated the light on her blaster and opened the shed door. She cut her gaze to the left then panned it to the right. Pepper's voice continued over her headset. "I see you in the doorway of the shed, Phoenix. I can't use thermal imaging because if you're up against Venom forces, they're not going to be a significant trace of body heat."

The vixen face-faulted. "What about using the thermal scan to find our contact?" Silence. "Sir?"

After a moment, Pepper came back over the communicator. "Nothing. They wouldn't keep him out in the open if they're trying to keep a low profile. I can't be sure that they've not also tapped into the satellite feed, pilot. This is a secure transmission, so they can't hear us, but I can't be as confident about visual security."

"Can you send the drop ship back?"

"Negative," replied the General. "We must ascertain the whereabouts of the encoded message. If it falls into Venom's hands…"

"Stand by," interrupted the vixen. She sprinted across the concrete then dove into some bushes at the edge of the trail. She lifted her large right ear towards the pathway and held her breath. The fennec's powerful ability to hear subtle noises allowed her to tune in to a distant noise.

A masculine voice said, "…And that's why I resent this stupid park! Cornerians and their trite, meaningless forms of recreation and personal amusement; I begrudge the very notion of it all. This entire rock is a symbol of their…" She couldn't make out the next statement. She took a breath then held it again, trying to listen.

The reptilian voices continued their dialogue. "…that coyote. He was probably meeting someone to give them the object we found. I'm willing to bet the emitter has an important message. Corneria thinks it can use cloak and dagger to get information through our intelligence network now that they caught on to our high-ranking military spies …as if."

She couldn't hear the reply of the other soldier but she could tell by the dialect that the speaker came from Venom. Fara gritted her teeth and frowned. The first lizard spoke again. "That's quite simple, Corporal… if he doesn't speak, we'll take his other arm. This is certainly the cruelest way to torture a prisoner. We never hacked off limbs during the Civil War but I don't feel any guilt in doing such things to a _Cornerian_."

The quiet pilot shuttered. Her stomach iced over at the thought of their mentality and what would have happened to her life and her career if they found her before the other agent. She ran her fingers through her short headfur then eased out of the bush and darted along the line of shrubbery to get closer. She knelt down on the opposite side of the landscaping and listened in on their conversation.

Once Fara felt situated in her new location, she pushed her face into one of the bushes and watched them through the gaps in the leaves. "What if this _other person_ doesn't show?" she heard the second soldier say to the first. Her eyes shifted to the other speaker, making mental notes based on their entire conversation.

The first soldier's already familiar voice turned harsh in tone. "Then we kill that fool and take the message unit back to Venom. Intel will crack the password so I'm hardly concerned about _that_."

"How much longer should we wait then?" the other asked.

The first one paused then replied, "The lieutenant said something about a brief energy signature by the main gates. It could have been a low-power transporter going through landing procedures. If so, that other person will be coming through here any time now. If they don't show in the next thirty minutes, we'll leave." The first lizard paused again then lifted his wrist to his lips and said, "This is Bravo checking in; no sign of a second visitor, Command. We're going to split up, to cover more territory." He then sighed and told his associate, "You head towards the water rides. I'll stay near Rollercoaster Alley, incase this person shows up to meet the idiot coyote."

"Do you hate all mammals?" asked the second one.

"Not at all," said the first. "Have you ever met team StarWolf? I have no ill will towards them, nor towards some of the marmosets I've worked with." He then added, "However… I can't stand _most_ digitigrades. But rest assured, if I ever came across a vixen, a queen or a bitch, let alone a clowder, skulk or pack of Cornerian females, I would bend her over the nearest bench or water fountain and show her the best time anyone has ever had in this entire park."

The two lizards turned towards one another. "Why _here_?" asked the other. "Is that your fantasy? Are you trying to bring a mammal female on a date to an abandoned amusement park?"

The first lizard blinked then pointed towards the footpath leading back towards the log flume. "Just shut up and go look for some freaking Cornerians over by the water rides." The two separated and Fara watched through the bushes for an opportunity to strike. Minutes later, quiet returned to the area; the cunning little vixen crept through a break in the bushes and approached the reptile from behind.

She placed the barrel against the back of his neck. Simultaneously, she hooked the fingers of her other paw into the rear loop for his gear belt just above the hilt of his tail. "Now that he's gone, how about that _Cornerian female_ fantasy?" asked Fara, whispering against the right side of his head. "But how about I bend _you_ over a park bench instead, dear?"

Quick to force, she guided him to the nearest bench and forced him to lean over it. She put her right foot on the bench, her knee pressed to his hip. Then, with all of her might, Fara Phoenix pulled up on his belt loop, forcing the crotch of the fabric up between his legs in an uncomfortable way. The lizard offered a miserable groan, his pride not allowing him to shout.

"Degrading, huh?" she whispered to him from behind. "Humiliated, are you? Hmm?" She jerked her paw from left to right, just to inch the fabric upwards a little further. "Women don't like to be humiliated any more than you like it. So which one of you two removed that man's arm?"

"I did; do what you will with me and stop fooling around!" hissed the lizard.

With a narrowed gaze, Fara put more weight against the blaster which left an indentation at the nape of his scaly neck. She forced his face against the backrest of the bench and told him, "Why don't you hold your cold-blooded tongue?"

"You're wasting my time," said the man. "I'm an Imperial Soldier of Venom. I was ready to die for my mission before I got out of bed today."

"The Cornerian Government really wants us to feel sorry for you thugs." Fara's ears, a fennec's best defense, flickered to scout her surroundings then she continued. "They explain how Andross' new invention has put you under his control and that you can't help but want to follow his will of hating us… but you're _not_ under mind control."

"Telekinetic amplification allows him to move, break or distort the mass of matter. Trust me, I feel no guilt about shooting down a Cornerian Pilot. I'll do it again in the future and I plan to enjoy it."

Fara smirked. "Strange, I have no guilt about shooting down a Venom Fighter. In fact, I'll make it a priority next time I fly a fighter," she replied in unison to a flicker of her wrist, moving it away from his neck, momentarily. She squeezed discharge button on the blaster; it bucked in her palm. The beam went over his shoulder and into the bench. The wooden object disintegrated; the lizard collapsed to the ground with a groan. The pilot lifted her foot then immediately brought it back down. She stomped on the lizard's shoulder, dislocating his arm from the ball-joint. He released a muffled howl through his nose, unable or unwilling to open his maw.

"I bet it hurts more to have your arm _removed_ from your body. Want to find out?" She had no intention of dismembering her enemy. However, Fara was angry that Venom refused to treat their prisoners according to convention guidelines and had no qualms about hurting this man. She placed the blaster against the lizard's neck again. "I just vaporized that bench out from underneath of you. So, now you know it's set to its highest setting. If I shoot you, there won't be a body. No body means no guilt. You just cease to exist, you cold-blooded piece of crap. Here one minute, gone the next. However, I won't kill a useful informant. So if you want to live, start talking."

"He's been cauterized to stop the bleeding; he's lost everything beyond the elbow." The lizard spoke in a monotone voice. Fara, immediately frustrated with the reptile, grabbed him by the neck and dragged the soldier across the path to the maintenance shed. She kicked the latch on the door so that it swung open on its creaky hinges. She forced him down to his knees and activated the light on her blaster. She then pushed the lizard's face down in front of the bloody stump of fur and flesh.

"Do you see that?" she erupted. "You're telling me something I already know! I can _**plainly see**_ that '_he's lost everything beyond the elbow_', damn you! You're friend will give me less trouble; you've lost your chance!" She flipped the reptile onto his back, put the gun against his snout and glared down at him. Their eyes met.

"I wouldn't have stalled for time," said the cold blooded pilot to the vixen. "Personally, I'd have finished you out by the bench without all the Cornerian theatrics."

"Whatever," she said in retort. Fara lifted her head and glanced back at the door to make sure no one would hear another blaster discharge. With her gaze averted, she pulled the trigger. When her eyes dropped back to the ground, she saw nothing more than the coyote's forearm, plastic buttons and metal zippers from the lizard's uniform. The small room smelled of charred scales and flesh. Only a sticky bit of rubberized sludge from the soles of his boots remained. Her left ear flickered, joined in harmony by the twitching of her left eye. The corner of her mouth tugged a bit until a grimace crept across her softly-furred visage.

She used the blaster's built-in light to check the rest of the floor for the holographic message, should he have had it in one of his pockets, but only found military identification tags. She closed her paw around the tags, brought them to the light and shifted her weight to lean up against a wall. According to the tags, the lizard had no religion of choice nor did he have much of anything else listed. The lack of a wedding band told Fara that he had no immediate family waiting for him. His attitude suggested that he'd not had a girlfriend either. She sighed softly and ran her fingers back through her headfur again.

The pilot stuffed the two metal tags into her pocket then turned off the light beneath the barrel of her blaster. She carefully retrieved the computerized gauntlet from the coyote's dismembered forearm and slid the metal brace into her jacket pocket. Fara opened the door and headed towards the water rides. She opened a channel to General Pepper and said, "I have a clue as to where I should start; I've dispatched an Imperial Soldier and retrieved his identification tags so as not to leave evidence. I now have my contact's wristband too. I'm optimistic that the Soldier's partner will provide more information under pressure. Stand by until further notice."

"Copy that," Fara heard over the grainy channel. The reception for her headset showed that it received reception at full strength but the integrity of the signal seemed a little distorted due to being at the center of an asteroid belt.

Without a further sound, the vixen continued down the footpath towards the wooden bridge. She stopped above the log flume path and scouted the area. Fara climbed over the side of the bridge and worked her way down to the support beam beneath the overpass. She glanced down at the half-pipe beneath her feet then released the beam and dropped to a crouch in the plasticized section.

Small holes lined the bottom, designed like a high-power whirlpool jet to keep the water's current at a fast pace. The empty smooth lining, now dry and forgotten, resembled a large tube sled course. She began to walk downhill, towards the end of the flume's plastic conduit. Her tail flitted listlessly in annoyance at the deafening sound of silence. The vulpine pilot came to a vertical drop where the log ride would normally splash down at the end of its trek. Without water, the drop seemed too dangerous for her to jump. She knelt down at the edge of the specially molded track and scanned the area.

Over by the inflatable-tube slide, about two hundred feet away, she spotted the other lizard. From her vantage point, she could see that he had a small weapon drawn. The fennec touched her headset and said, "I've spotted the other target; you can't see him with thermal but can you see him with plain optical, right?"

After a moment, Pepper replied, "I've got him but the lizard's pixilated image is difficult to discern. It's too dark to see anything more than slight movement. We're going to use a computer tracking program, take a series of still shots of the terrain, then compare them to see where any _other_ movement is occurring. It'll take a few minutes for us to compile the data and scan the entire asteroid. Stand by."

"While you do that," said Fara, "I'm going to 'interrogate' this soldier. _Stand by_," she added at the end of her statement with a smirk. She climbed out of the plastic water-passage and into the gravel surrounding the track on either side. A corrugated maintenance catwalk remained just out of sight on the far left. She moved through the gravel and fake landscaping until coming across the metal ledge, complete with construction scaffolding. She made her way to the end and down the stairs to the bottom of the drop, at the far left end of the empty pool.

Six log flume ride cars sat in disuse. Each one had a tarp covering it with a red number stenciled on the nylon tarpaulin. She hid among them, watching the lizard out by the turnstile at the flume's entrance. She waited for him to turn his back then crept out along the metal fence towards him. Fara lifted her blaster and kept it trained on him, moving in his direction. He began to turn back towards her. Acting on instinct, she dove into the empty pool where the log ride cars came to their splashdown conclusion during normal operation. She winced upon hitting the empty concrete pool, easily a four foot drop in depth. She pressed herself up against the siding, so that he wouldn't see her.

She could hear the latch squeak on the metal gate; the lizard began walking around to investigate the flume's loading area. She could hear his footfalls on the concrete moving closer. Suddenly, Fara stood up and snatched his ankles. She pulled his feet out from beneath him; he fell into the empty concrete pool with her. Phoenix collapsed upon him, putting her knee against his throat and the blaster against his forehead. "Don't move, scale face."

The corporal swallowed down a lump in his throat; his pupils dilated in response to the fear of having a gun pointed at him. "Your friend is alive, Cornerian. There's no reason we can't find a diplomatic s-s-solution here."

"Well _your_ friend is _not_ alive," she told him in a flat voice. "And if you don't cooperate with me, you'll be visiting him permanently." She narrowed her gaze at him to remain intimidating. "How many lizards are on this asteroid?"

"We're a survey team," he said, adding, "The average team is comprised of a dozen men to scout the area and deem it fit for building a base. Our team only has eight, however."

"Oh yeah?" Fara pushed the barrel against his forehead, twisting the weapon a bit just to keep him scared. "Why does your team have four less people… or are you lying to me?"

"Because the asteroid is smaller than a planet and because our men are spread thin, scouting multiple areas throughout Lylat for new bases."

"Well you're not building one here," said Fara with a smirk. "Where is my contact and where is the parcel he was carrying?"

"The man is back at our base camp, but I don't know anything about the parcel of which you speak."

Fara drew her paw back then struck the lizard with her weapon. She ground her knee into his neck, choking him. "Don't play dumb with me. I heard you talking about it with your buddy, _Corporal_. He's dead, now." She drew out the Venom Identification from her pocket and held the metallic tags above the man's face. "See? I vaporized him. _You_ won't be so lucky. I'll lower the power level and shoot a hole right through your torso, that way you won't die right away. It'll hurt and it'll be cauterized, so you won't bleed to death."

"Okay!" he cried. "Your contact is locked in the first-aid office, by the L-2 pedestrian bridge, leading back towards the rollercoaster section of the park! He still has the device; the Sergeant and I were cut off from the rest of our team."

"Why?"

"We split up into groups of two to scout the area. Our radio isn't working; we've not been able to check in."

Fara frowned. "Mine works fine; are you lying to me?" She added a bit of force to his neck.

The lizard could hardly speak. "N-no! It doesn't work… I c-can't breathe…"

Fara eased up against his neck then asked, "Can you validate your pretext?"

"Wh… wait, what?"

"_Prove_ that your radio _doesn't work_," snapped the vixen. Her patience was growing thin.

"Look," said the reptile. He lifted his communicator and flipped open the lid. He turned it towards her so that she could see the screen. The signal indicator showed that his communicator received no reception. The Venom word for "searching" blinked on the screen. "See?" he said. "Please, be reasonable."

Fara reached to his other hand and took his blaster. She glanced at it then smirked. "You keep it on stun, huh?"

"We didn't expect anyone to be here," he replied. "Coming across the first Cornerian took us by surprise. We stunned him and the Sergeant did all the interrogating. Sarge was in the Venom Civil War, eleven years ago; he's a hardened soldier with no sense of compassion. He's insane."

She didn't buy his story. "So, now you knew there were people here. Why did you keep your blaster on stun?"

The lizard frowned, swallowing another lump in his throat. "We wanted to take you alive, for information. He didn't tell us anything and we hoped that you would be more willing to talk."

"Funny," said Fara. "Your buddy didn't tell ME anything, and I had hopes that _you_ would be more willing to talk. Looks like you get to live. Now, take me to the Cornerian, before _you_ lose an arm." She stood up, dropped the Sergeant's tags onto the lizard's chest then trained both blasters on his head. "Nice and slow; let's take a walk to meet my friend."

"I'm not even really the military type. I was drafted."

Fara rolled her eyes. "C'mon, let's go. You're wasting time, Corporal. Walk to the stairs, through the turnstile and towards the L-2 pedestrian bridge. Please step lively."

Within several minutes, the two arrived at the first aid station by the L-2 Bridge. A filthy coyote of Cornerian descent sat in silence on the floor. He held his paw over the shortened stump that inflated only half of his other shirt sleeve. His weary eyes lifted to the two in the doorway then dropped back to the floor.

Fara shoved the lizard into the small room. "Kneel on the floor with your hands on your head." She glanced over at the coyote, frowned in a sympathetic manner then cleared her throat. "Do you have it?" she asked.

He nodded. A few feet away, the reptile dropped to the ground. The coyote stood up with a slow stagger then withdrew his paw from the ragged, crimson stained shirt sleeve. "Cauterization kept the blood flow to a minimal."

Fara blinked at his words, watched him retrieve the small plastic data card then slump back against the wall. She approached him and placed her paws on his shoulders. "You're in shock; we'll get you back to Katina for debriefing as soon as possible," she said and took the message chip. The vixen placed it into her jacket pocket then handed him the high power blaster. She placed the reptile's stunner against the corporal's scaly neck and sighed. "If you follow us back to Katina, I'll do to you what I did to your superior."

She pulled the trigger and the lizard slumped forward onto his stomach. She then turned to the coyote and said, "Disinformation. He'll be groggy when he wakes up and remember 'something about Katina'. That's more than fine with me. C'mon, we've got to get you on a ship back to Corneria. Maybe they can save your arm."

"No," he said in a tired voice. "It's too late for my arm; I'll retire on the insurance claim alone. Corneria's medical people are good but not _that_ good. Let me go to my prearranged departure point. We're supposed to leave separately so that neither of us knows information on the other. This protects the other party incase of capture. I couldn't tell them anything about you because I had no idea who I'd be meeting or when I'd be meeting you. That probably saved your life."

Fara grimaced. She retrieved his wrist pad and offered it to him then checked the power cell of her Venom-issue stunner. "You're injured. I'll escort you to your ship."

"No," he snapped. "We follow orders. Be careful, these guys check in every half an hour. If their dispatcher doesn't hear from them, a search party comes looking. They're fast and they're thorough."

"He's not getting reception on his communicator," said Fara.

The coyote smirked, approached the body and searched it for a transponder. He stowed the weapon in his front pants pocket then retrieved the communicator and flipped it open with a thumb. "He lied to you. This device does more than call in; he has it set to search for _microwaves, _an old Cornerian technology for generating power. They were looking for the park's self replenishing energy facility and they're nowhere near it, so this device is reporting that it can't find any _M-W __reception_. Clever liar, isn't he? Venom Command has probably been alerted already and they're converging on this location. We'll split up and leave right away. Hopefully they'll find him here sleeping alone."

Fara snatched the communicator out of the man's remaining paw and glared at the device. She couldn't read the Venom words on the screen. The picture of a universal reception point, a small line with a triangle on the top, blinked with a slash through it, denoting that it wasn't receiving any signal. She turned her gaze back at the man and sighed. "You read Venom?"

"I'm very fluent," he said before backhanding the communicator out of her paw. "Let's get out of here. I'll go first; my ship isn't all that far. Wait a minute or so then leave as fast as you can. Don't lose the message; rumor has it that it's supposed to change Corneria's possibility for success in this upcoming War effort."

"…Yeah," Fara replied in a soft voice. "Hurry." She nodded towards the door. The coyote withdrew the blaster she gave him and left. The short waiting began; she glanced at her wristwatch and counted the time. Once two full minutes passed, she opened the door and peered outside. What she saw caused her to frown.

Several lizards were patrolling the immediate area. They all froze in their tracks and canted their heads at a launching shuttle in the distance. '_That was quick,_' she thought to herself. One of them got on the radio and contacted a supervisor, shouting that someone was getting away. Fara watched through the crack between the door and the doorway. She watched the lizards argue with one another for a moment before returning to their patrol sweep.

'_It's not long before they check this building and find me_,' she noted in silence. The vixen's sharp eyes flitted from one soldier to the next, making a headcount of her enemies. She needed a plan of action and a simple stunner wasn't going to help her get out of this mess.

She pivoted on her heel and moved about to the opposite side of the doorframe. She then elbowed the door open and crouched in the ready position. Two shots flew in through the door and struck a support beam where she'd just been seconds prior. She remained in wait and listed.

"Did we get'em?" asked one.

"Someone investigate!" ordered another.

A third exclaimed, "I've got this; you guys flank the sides."

Fara took a deep breath and waited. A shadow glided across the floor followed by a boot, an ankle and the tip of a rifle at hip level. She reached up, snatched the barrel of his gun, gave a tug then pushed backwards on it. The buttstock struck the lizard in his face. He lost his grip on the weapon and stumbled against the doorframe. The vixen reached her other paw down and gripped his ankle so that he had no choice but to fall backwards.

"Fall back!" cried the soldier to his men. Phoenix secured the weapon under her arm and drew the stunner back out in one quick maneuver. She fired it against the Lizard's neck to subdue him.

Her ears flickered and her eyes shot back to the door. A flash-bang grenade bounced across the floor, landing next to the lizard's leg. She used the rifle under her arm to swat the grenade back then jerked her body away from the door, eyes shut. She brought her forearms down above her ears, forcing them down against the side of her head.

The magnesium bomb exploded with a stunning flash – Fara's cue to go on the offensive. She got to her feet and blazed through the door with the automatic rifle wide open. The gun bucked in her paws, chewing through everything from concrete to surrounding lizards. She swept the weapon to the right and held it behind herself to cover her escape.

Fara cut her gaze back to the bridge and, without giving it any further thought, leapt from the side. The gun clicked empty and, somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt her jacket become lighter, billowing up with a rush of air. She loosened her paws from the weapon and it flew free, somewhere off to the right. She put her arms and legs out in front of herself and effectively pounced the log flume track down below.

She threw her arms out and went down the track on her stomach, picking up speed. She raced through the plastic tube on her space suit's metal chest plate, keeping her head up and her back arched so as not to put too much weight on her breasts. The course cut to the left then the right, causing her to slow down. She rolled onto her side and slumped to a stop at the next curve.

The vixen glanced over her shoulder then pulled herself up into the gravel on either side of the track. She crept into the landscape and remained low. "General Pepper, I've got the message disc designed for a holo-recorder. Where is my extraction point?"

"The small ship I mentioned; you'll take it to Papetoon; the instructions are encoded in the computer. The password is your social security number entered backwards – something Venom soldiers wouldn't be able to simply _guess_."

Fara kept her voice low and said, "Roger that, General. Where is it?"

Pepper drew quiet for a moment to look at his records then said, "It's in the maintenance pit beneath the Ferris wheel. Hurry. The message is time sensitive to the landing of the C-07 Transport freighter on Papetoon."

"Copy that." Fara scrambled through the gravel on her elbows and knees. The arch of the Ferris wheel loomed above the treetops in the distance. Phoenix frowned at the distance she'd have to cover then continued through the bushes and high grass designed to cover the maintenance lines and rails that ran alongside the Flume track.

"This isn't going to be easy," she thought aloud.

Phoenix came to a fence and scrambled over it. She continued through the landscaping until the terrain surrounding the log flume track changed direction. Fara found herself at a cliff, six stories above a concession stand and dropped to her knees to keep from being spotted. The cables of a sky trolley passed above her head, perpendicular to the manmade cliff. She glanced to the right then looked to the left. No sign of the cable car.

"This has to be the dumbest stunt I've ever tried," she groused in soft tones. Fara removed her jacket and tossed it over the line. She gave a hard tug on the fabric to see if it would support her weight without ripping then took a deep breath. "No time like the present."

She leapt from the edge and tightened her paws around the jacket. As she picked up speed, the fabric of her silver aviator jacket offered a distinctive sounding whine against the metal cable. The fennec lifted her legs to reduce wind drag, zipping along the line. She lowered her head, watching the park race by, far below. Her sharp eyes zeroed in on the coyote, surrounded by soldiers. Her eyes widened; '_I thought he escaped!_'

The lizards approached him on all sides and attacked as a team; he never saw it coming. Their blaster shots ripped through him on all sides. He slumped to his knees then spilled over onto his side. He remaining paw lifted into the air as if reaching for her as she passed overhead. Her jaw tightened with a defeated frown.

The lizards closed in around him and finished the job like a firing squad. Fara turned to glance over her shoulder and watched him draw his last breath, far below. The reptile in charge drew a handgun to add the personal touch. He placed it against the coyote's forehead. Fara turned her gaze away, sailing down the cable on her jacket. She began to lose momentum, upon reaching the middle of the line.

After another moment she came to a stop, hanging several stories above the park. Her arms were growing tired as gravity made circulation to her paws very difficult. She pivoted her head, looking for options. She only needed to go ten more meters to reach a towering rotunda. It would still be a ten foot drop but it seemed like her only reasonable alternative. Phoenix swung her legs up and captured the line by crossing her ankles overtop the cable.

Slowly but surly, she began to creep along the line but thirty feet seemed like a long distance with her arms starting to cramp up. The vixen struggled further down the line until the building was directly beneath her. Her fingertips ached from the intense 'pins and needles' sensation. She could hardly feel her forearms and now her biceps began to throb. She took a deep breath, released it and repeated the action. Her arms gave out and her ankles became uncrossed. Fara Phoenix fell from the cable line.

She struck the domed roof but it didn't hold under the force of impact. Her body crashed through the rotunda, her fall broken by boxes of paper towels kept in the attic for storage. Her jaw dropped and she gasped for air, unable to draw it into her lungs. She leaned to the left, away from the broken box of towels and inadvertently rolled into a soft spot in the floor. Her body met pink insulation fluff and she fell straight through it, dropping through the recessed ceiling tiles. They slowed her fall. Fara dropped into an executive style chair behind an expensive mahogany desk.

The rear left leg of the chair cracked and the chair toppled backwards. She lay there for a moment with her legs elevated over the cushion with her head supported by the backrest. Dazed, the fennec continued to try and suck in a single breath. Fifteen seconds felt like several minutes; she drew in a labored breath and held it in her lungs for a few seconds then she took another and repeated herself. She did this until her breathing returned to normal.

From where she lay, she could see the nearby Ferris wheel through a fancy wall-length window. A weary smile tugged at the corners of her muzzle. …Home free. "Fara to General Pepper," she said.

"This is Corneria, Pepper speaking."

Fara's smile melted into a smirk. "I'm at the executive office near the Ferris wheel, Sir. Where's my Intel?"

Pepper's grainy voice cleared up a little. "It appears that you're clear for takeoff. Anything else to report?"

"I saw a shuttle leave from the park but it wasn't my contact. He… was dispatched by the Venom."

"We'll look into it. For now your orders are to make haste to Papetoon and deliver the holo-telegram to Papetoon. Then head to the airport and leave via your father's transport ship. Don't spare a single moment."

"Acknowledged," replied the vixen. She closed the channel and got to her feet. She wasn't home free _yet_ but she was close.

* * *

_A few hours later, on the desert planes of planet Papetoon…_

…_in the heart of the upper western-hemisphere's merchant lanes_

**Slippy Toad shifted his hover bike and stood up on the foot pegs. **Peppy Hare brought his own bike up against the side of Slippy's and reached his left paw over to take Slippy's right handlebar. The two flew in parallel while Slippy worked diligently.

"I'm nervous!" Slippy shouted.

Peppy, known for being the team's moderator, sought the mature way of handling the teenager's apprehension. "Just tell me what you're doing and by the time you finish explaining, you'll be done!"

"Right, well," Slippy pushed a drill against the metal bottom of the C-07 freighter and squeezed the trigger. "I'm removing the access panel and putting a thermal detonator into their fuse relay panel. Without the fuses, their engines will instantly overheat and the coils will burst." He removed the second screw then moved the drill down to the third.

"And why are we doing that?" Peppy asked, still holding on to one of Slippy's handlebars to keep their bikes together at such a high speed.

"They slow down, so Fox and Falco can do the attack." Slippy dropped the fourth bolt into the blurry brown turf that screamed by beneath them. He placed the drill against the fourth corner of the access panel and depressed the trigger, adding, "Thanks for helping me through this, p-p-Peppy!"

"It's not a problem, you're almost there!" said the rabbit in an appraising demeanor. "You're doing good, buddy! You're not dinkin' around like you were when we rehearsed this, yesterday!"

"W-we're doing this at t-twice the s-s-speed!" cried Toad. He removed the fourth bolt then used the drill to protect his face from the access panel which fell away from the belly of the ship. The panel clipped his drill and took it out of his webbed hand. "Crap!" Toad glanced back into the distorted sandy distance, peering over his faded burgundy cloak. The frayed ends whipped about in his wake.

"Eyes forward; forget about the drill!" Peppy shouted over the roar of the wind. "What's next, Slippy?"

"Th-thee, ah… The explosive comes next!" he replied at the top of his lungs. "We still have one m-m-mile to the Oasis and then another six hundred meters to the C-05 wreckage!"

"We're running out of time, hurry!" Peppy tightened his grip on Slippy's handlebar then leaned his head forward over the small tinted bug shield glass above the speedometer of his bike. His ears trailed out behind his head, flapping about with the tattered blue cape he wore. "Do it, Slip!"

Toad wedged a small yellow ball into the fuse panel then touched the trigger pad twice. "Okay the timer is set for fifty seconds. Are you sure you took time into account?"

Peppy grinned. "I'm a hobbyist map maker," he said, adding, "Furthermore, we're doing ninety miles an hour. That's one mile every forty-five seconds! It's perfect! Let's pull back; we've got to ease out from beneath this beast!" The two began to drop in speed.

Just as the two hover bikes moved into position behind the freighter, the desert floor melted into a shimmering blue. Slippy's bomb exploded and the freighter's engines followed suit. The large transporter lowered a bit; its belly skimmed the glassy oasis like a leviathan plowing the brine. The frog winced in anticipation but the C-07 began to regain altitude before connecting with the desert floor.

The monster transport ship passed over the half-buried C-05 with Slippy and Peppy following suit. They skimmed the rounded lump of metal jutting out of the sand and used it as a ramp to gain altitude. Slippy eased back on his control bar, staying in the air.

The all-frequency channel opened and a voice shouted, "Attention, this is the Freighter C-07! This is Lieutenant J.G. Camen, here. Our engine boosters have burst, following a loss of all power! We're only carrying enough supplies for the crew of this ship. We require Imperial assistance!"

Peppy smirked. "A Lieutenant, Junior Grade, huh? That proves we've not been up against actual merchants. I _knew_ this was a military-owned supply line!"

Falco's voice came over the channel in rebuttal. "Yeah? This is Falco Lombardi and you can just shut up, pal."

An angry cry returned, "Your little game is _not_ yet over, space trash!"

Falco didn't reply. Peppy glanced back at Slippy who remained in the air. The aging lapin punched his nitro accelerator button and lowered his head. The bike jerked forward allowing him to blaze by the freighter. Fox and Falco came from the left, turning in towards the massive ship. McCloud's voice came over the private channel. "We're going to group into formation and do a Chicken Pass. Stand by; Falco and I will fire off our shots and destroy the portside hull, then we'll pass on their left."

"Hey," Falco shouted, "I have a cousin who is a chicken!"

Two dragon-powered rockets shrieked across the void. The fuse relay panel beneath the ship exploded just as the two rocket propelled bombs hit their mark on the left hull plating. Peppy swerved around in a U-turn coming alongside of Fox and Falco; their bazookas left a trail of smoke from the barrel. Slippy dropped in from above to join into the formation. The four pilots passed along the freighter just as a secondary explosive reaction occurred. The fuel tanks burst, blowing a massive hole in the port midsection.

Fox glanced to his left and saw Peppy swerving to avoid shrapnel. The vulpine youth dropped his jaw, watching his father's friend gracefully navigate while retaining some semblance of control over the bike. Falco jerked his head away and used the barrel of his own weapon to shield his face from the heat of the eruption. Slippy flew high on the outside corner, furthest away from the detonation. The frog glanced down and to the left, watching Peppy as well.

Hare's bike tilted forward and his feet left the foot pegs. His body rose up but he kept a tight grip on his handlebars. He spread his feet outwards, using his legs to create wind drag. His burgundy pants billowed in the wind, helping the bike to level out properly.

The freighter slammed into the dusty earth, throwing off a massive cloud of debris. Several escape pods shot up from the top, heading straight up into the atmosphere. The team converged on the ship, bathed in the rays of Solar's sunrise. The deep violet western skyline faded into a golden eastern horizon as Solar's rays bathed them in its morning radiance.

Fox glanced off to the east for a moment then turned to Falco. "You and Slippy will move the hull plating to a secure location. Hopefully it will be enough to restore GreatFox. He'll know what the ship needs, so go with him. Peppy and I will grab all the supplies we can; I'll transfer my findings to Slippy after the mission and give further orders from there. We'll meet up with you guys on the way back to the den and let you know what the haul is from there."

"Right!" exclaimed the rest of the team in unison. Peppy moved alongside of Fox and Slippy fell into line behind Falco. The avian and frog headed for the aft section while Fox and Peppy headed for the hatch at the front of the ship.

They brought their hover bikes to the hull and shut them down. Fox opened the hatch and Peppy slid down the rails of the ladder. McCloud secured his bazooka to his bike handlebars and drew a hand blaster. He then followed the rabbit down into the ship.

Peppy withdrew one as well and pointed it down the left corridor. Fox pointed his own down the right and grinned. "I don't know why, but I'm kind of looking forward to this."

"Yeah? Why's that, Junior?"

"Cut that out," replied Fox. He added, "I want to see what the great Imperial Scow has that makes it so important. I'm sure they're transporting something MORE than just metal plates on this thing."

"It's hard to say." Peppy backed his way towards McCloud and said, "You take point so I can cover you with support fire."

"Let's go this way," said Fox who canted his head towards the left. Peppy fell into step behind the teenager and the two made their way down the hall in silence. They stopped in front of a set of double doors and Fox nudged the entry button. The doors swished apart to reveal a conference table with posh seats surrounding it. The two pilots continued down the hall and stopped at the next door. They opened it same as before.

At the center of the room was a strange android pig in a recharging station located inside of a metal pillar. Fox turned his attention back to the hallway but curiosity got the better of him. He nodded to Peppy then stepped through the door and approached the mechanical droid. McCloud nudged the activation switch with his blaster.

"Operating status: Nominal," it said in a calm, natural sounding voice. "Where is the creator?" Its soft orange eyes shifted from left to right. "…Peppy Hare?" It almost seemed to leer at the rabbit. "I'm rather surprised to say the least," announced the machine.

Peppy cast a confused gaze to Fox then turned back to the android. "How do you know my name?"

"You flew with my son," the android announced in a flat sounding tone of voice. "How could I _not_ know you? And this one here," he continued, turning towards Fox, "Looks remarkably like Jim."

Fox gasped in surprise, listening to the dialogue between the machine and Peppy Hare. The rabbit cleared his throat then said, "Maybe my memory isn't quite what it used to be; who are you?" Part of him already dreaded the answer but the machine was all to happy to confirm it.

"Herbert Dengar; I'm Pigma's father. So if you're here, where's Jimmy?"

Peppy blinked twice then said, "James …was killed in action. This is his son, Fox."

The machine remained in its recharging chamber. Each time it spoke, its mouth illuminated. "Well, I'm terribly sorry to hear of his fate, Peppy. Pigma never mentioned anything about that; he told me that he'd left the team to pursue more lucrative endeavors. He's currently employed by my Creator."

Peppy licked his lips in apprehension then said, "I'm afraid to ask who created you."

"Andross Oikonny. So far, I'm his favorite artificial intelligence droid; he programmed me with a binary arrangement of transferred memory data from my original body." The pig paused, as if for effect, then dramatically announced, "I died from cancer. The Creator restored me in this body because we're friends from way back."

Fox and Peppy exchanged looks. Fox balled his paws into fists. "Why didn't Corneria Command take that into consideration before sending my father's team on that damn run?"

Peppy sighed. "Your father begged for the run, because he suspected Andross of…" Hare trailed off and shrugged.

"What?" Fox tilted his head.

"Nothing," replied the rabbit. "He …suspected Andross of a lot of things. He simply felt deeply compelled to lead the mission against Venom. It wasn't an assault, it was an assassination attempt. We were flying in to try and shoot down Andross' private yacht."

"Andross never killed anyone," said Herbert. "…at least not to my knowledge," he added.

"Shut him off and bring him with us," said Fox. His thoughts turned to that of his father and he could feel his emotions welling up in his chest. "This android is…" He wanted to say that it was another small window in time that held memories of his father but he couldn't bring himself to word his thoughts on the matter. "…is Andross' favorite pig. I'm willing to bet that Herbert Dengar's abduction will grab Oikonny's attention. Let's turn him off and take the head; we'll pack it in with the supplies we find."

Peppy nodded and flipped the droid's switch. Its eyes dimmed and its head canted forward. Fox gave a nod and Peppy picked up a tool from a nearby workbench. After a moment to remove all the bolts from the neck, he lifted the android's head off of its body and the two carried it out of the room.

Fox hooked a thumb over his shoulder and told the rabbit, "Let's grab the rest of the supplies and get out of this dump. I'm on a schedule, here."

* * *

_Meanwhile, back in Village Square_

**Fara placed the glossy red chip into Mayor Tuttle's paw**and offered a smile. "Tell them it's from Director General Pepper of the Planetary Defense Council."

"I'll do that, ma'am. I hope you didn't go through much trouble to bring us this disc," said the Mayor. "You know, those bandits rescued my son a few months ago. They're good guys but I'm surprised that a Cornerian General would want to make contact with them."

"Wait," Fara tilted her head, remembering something that Fay told her sometime back. "What's their leader's name?"

"Why, it's Fox McCloud, ma'am. He's a nice guy; something tells me that you might even fancy him."

Fara stuffed her paws into her pockets and grinned. "I've heard plenty about him," she said. The fennec recalled her friend Fay trying to play matchmaker; a wry expression crept across her face. "A friend of mine told me I should give him a call but I've never met him. Awkward huh?"

"He's an upstanding citizen in my book," said the mayor.

"I've no interest in the vigilante type," she told the chubby little man then said, "But I'm sure he's a good person." She couldn't help but visualize this Fox McCloud as a dingy, mangy man with matted fur and a few piercings. "Thanks but no thanks; one planet's freedom fighter is another planet's outlaw." The corner of her muzzle tugged into a quick, weak grin then she shrugged. "That's what I told Fay, too. At any rate, I should be going. I have a flight to catch. Can you arrange for someone to take me to the airport?"

"Why, of course. I'll call a cab for you. But you really shouldn't be judgmental of him just because he's a Cornerian outlaw; a sizable group of our town's teenage girls are quite smitten with Mister McCloud."

Fara recalled Fay using the word "cute" in reference to McCloud but then remembered Fay's last dinner date had several piercings and greasy fur. The vixen couldn't help but picture a smarmy junior-year academy pilot with greasy looking fur. …A sixteen year old girl's college-boy dream. She glanced at her watch then told him, "I really am strapped for time, mister Mayor. I'm glad your little boy was returned safely and everything. Could you call a taxi for me, so I don't miss my flight?"

"Absolutely!" he said. "Come with me, Miss Phoenix. But don't let time concern you; all the flights leaving Papetoon have been delayed by three hours because of a scattered storm system in the upper atmosphere. No rush, right? Now, let's see about finding you that taxi."

* * *

_Twenty Minutes Later…_

**Falco and Slippy came alongside of Fox and Peppy's hover-bikes **at a high rate of speed. Fox leaned back on his speeder and transferred a box on a towrope over to Slippy's bike, steering with his left knee.Falco came alongside of Peppy, flying in parallel; he watched the box transfer between McCloud and Toad then cut his gaze back to the rabbit.

"What's the haul Peppy?" asked Falco, shouting over the ambient roar of the wind.

"Slim pickings," Peppy announced half-heartedly. "Some fuel packets, a case of Hyper-twinkies, three gravity dumps and an android pig named Herbert." In reply to the rabbit's words, Falco offered a grimace.

Fox came up between the two and said, "Emperor Andross won't be able to ignore us _now_. That was his _favorite_ pig." Young McCloud turned his head to the left and shouted over to the amphibian in the blue jumpsuit, sporting an orange belt. It contrasted poorly with a billowing burgundy cape. "Slippy, deliver those hyper-twinkies to the villagers _right away_."

Toad shouted back, "I'm _on_ it, boss!" and cut hard to the right, across the wake of his teammates. Slippy increased the throttle of his bike and leaned forward. The desert landscape raced by beneath his hover-bike; the frog punched his afterburner, heading due west.

The desert floor melted into a dirt road which led into town. After another moment, a paved strip of concrete took form, decorated with yellow dashes down the center. Slippy eased into the right lane and let off the throttle. Another moment passed and he crossed into the town limits. He slowed to a reasonable speed just as he passed the first home located at the outskirts of town.

Buildings began to race by, followed by apartment complexes and automobiles which began to line the street. The box of supplies lowered from the lack of velocity; it bumped the ground. Slippy lowered his altitude and downshifted his clutch to reduce speed even further. The box's wheels, built into the bottom, caught the road and began to roll down the street behind Slippy's bike.

He maintained a respectable speed so as not to stall, but refused to go any faster through a residential area. A yellow taxi cab passed him but the roads were otherwise empty. Slippy eased to the right and pulled into the parking lot in front of Town Hall.

He cut his engines and coasted into the gravel at the edge of the lot, designed for hover-bike landings. The two tracks at the front of his bike left two lines in the dirt as he drove into the dirt. A dusty cloud billowed up behind him as a signal of his arrival. Slippy noticed the chubby mayor at the building's front door.

The bike drifted to a halt and the frog eased off then stretched. A wave of heat hovered above the backside of the small machine.

"I keep telling you," said the Mayor as he descended the brick steps, "You shouldn't ride that crotch-rocket without a helmet, mister Toad! And yet you never heed my advice!" He grinned, approaching Slippy. "I'm only telling you out of concern for your personal safety! So, how is mister McCloud?"

"Fox is doing well," replied the frog. "The whole team is looking to take a little breather and put some time into repairing something that Fox has in storage." Slippy turned to the box secured to his bike by means of a tow rope and gestured towards it. He then turned towards another box tied down to the backside of his bike, and unsecured the bungee cords that held it in place. "Both of these are for you; it's not a lot but this ship didn't really have much in the way of supplies today."

"Quantity doesn't matter," said the Mayor. "You guys bring us weekly shipments like clockwork. And we sure appreciate the service you gentleman provide." He looked over the blue jumpsuit under Slippy's cloak then grinned. "Nice duds buddy."

The amphibian returned a lame smile. "Thanks! They're waterproof. I should get back to help the guys unpack but before I go… Fox has a message for you. There won't be a delivery next week because of a change in the Merchant Schedule."

The mayor nodded. "Ah, yes it's that time of year. The M.S. changes every three months to rotate their supply lines to other Venom fronts. On that note," he said, changing the subject, "I have something for you guys. It just came today. Corneria went out of their way to try and make a four-part handoff for security measures so that this wouldn't fall into the wrong hands." The short, stout gentleman handed over a shiny red square disc. "And it nearly did. From what I understand Imperial Lizards captured the second set of paws in the handoff. The young lady who delivered it had to rescue this diskette and dodge enemy blasters just to get it to _me_. I'm the fourth and final set of hands to have this and, believe me, I'm glad to get rid of it."

Slippy held it up to the light. "What is it?"

"A holo-telegram, mister Toad. It comes down the line from Director General Pepper of the Cornerian PDC. I was given explicit instructions to hand it over to Fox McCloud's _gang of outlaws_. Guess you guys are getting quite the reputation, huh?"

Slippy slid the card into his pocket and shrugged. "I guess. I had no idea our actions would get the attention of… Did you say _General_ Pepper?"

"I sure did," replied the mayor. "Hurry back, I'm sure that message must be important." The portly man offered a weak smile, simply wanting it to be out of his possession, incase soldiers were trailing it for some reason.

"I'll do that. Have yourself a good day now," said Slippy. He un-tethered the line from his bike and mounted the machine. "See ya' next season!" Slippy waved then kicked down on the ignition plate beneath his left foot. The booster engine roared to life and Slippy took off in a blaze of sudden speed.

* * *

**A/N**: _I'm SO VERY SORRY it's been taking so dang long to get these things updated. I had PC problems then I struggled to write a chapter 7 that I liked. I started over about a million times then, once I found a start that I was satisfied with, I struggled my way through it for some reason. I dunno. Whatever, right? We've now made it to ACT-1 (issue one) of the Nintendo Power Comic. I only plan to follow it up to Chapter 4, then I will follow SF64 as Fox McCloud's path of what I consider Canon history. _

_So far we've learned about Peppy's daughter and wife, we've learned about Fox's Academy friend Bill, and we've even learned something interesting today… Pigma's father was put into the body of a robot and, in exchange, Andross purchased Pigma's loyalty. Now Fox knows a little more about why Pigma was so willing to betray his team and his friends. Of course, now Fox is in a reflective mood concerning his father. _

_Also, Fox and Fara will meet next chapter. I promise that chapter 8 will be a BREEZE to right. Also, Chapter 23 of Reflections of a New Generation will be along shortly. I've not forgotten about my other stories, even the Sly Cooper stuff. I plan to finish everything in due time, but for now… bear with me! _

_I appreciate all the emails and stuff I get from readers. It's really cool to receive so many replies. This turned into a very long chapter, trying to fit in everything I wanted to do… and then I got carried away with my action scenes, so… I've put a lot of focus on Fara because she's such a large part of Fox's youth. She's also an important character in Reflections of a New Generation. I plan to merge Fox and Krystal's paths together in this story the same way, later on. I'll have large sections that revolve around Krystal and show you both sides of the story as I merge their destinies. I plan to try and show a lot of history about Krystal, leading up to her time on Sauria and I plan to have a cool back-story about her time on the planet, how she meets Kite and all the stuff that happens BEFORE Andross imprisons her. But that's a ways off. I still have plenty going on before we get to that point. _

_Anyhow, I won't make you guys wait as long for Chapter 8 this time, I promise:)_

_See ya soon!_

_-kit_


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: _This is for all you Nintendo Power Comic purists! Sure, I added stuff between frames, but everything that was detailed in the comic has been included. Every line, no matter how cheesy. Why? Because they're teenagers and are still rather innocent. __They joke with each other and their corny dialogue will improve soon, as the team is forced to grow up, almost overnight. _

_I add some more background with Fara and tie Adler into the chapter, right where we remember him to be from the Comic. I studied the frames, what hand a character was holding an object and how, so that when I detailed it into words__, it stays true to Ben Itoh's vision. The only thing I really don't follow is how he gives the Anthropomorphic characters robotic looking foot gear to allow them to walk like a human being. I give our heroes digitigrades footpaws. Why? Because I'm a Furry! Ankle axis poles that sit on a hinge in an empty metal shoe-like structure isn't my cup of tea. We see this best in a close up of Fox on the front cover of Volume 47, April of 1993. That's how Itoh draws their feet. Because that's how Fox's feet look on the front of the SNES box. Creepy__! Anyhow, sorry for the delay, I explain my excuse at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!_

_

* * *

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Chapter -8-  
Silver Wings

**The metal door, adorned with a hand-painted StarFox Logo, lifted **with the aid of a hydraulic assembly located on either side. A gentle 'whirr' accompanied the door as it raised to its up-locked position. The scream of hover-bike engines broke the otherwise silent air; Fox McCloud ducked his head forward and sailed into the tunnel.

The wide-trunk oak tree stood high above the team with bare branches. The tunnel led down into a cavernous opening which garaged their vehicles. Falco swung about to the left and shifted his shoulder-mounted rocket so that it only stood about as high as his head. The barrel brushed lightly against the mouth of the doorway and the falcon fired his braking thrusters to stop himself.

"Fox, we can't go _on_ like this. No one _ever_ got _rich_ raiding _Imperial Scows_." Falco raised his voice as Peppy's bike came in through the doorway, last. "_I_ say we move on to a _rich planet_ with lots of fat _commercial freighters_ for the _taking_." He lifted his left wing and accented his statement with his feathery pointer finger.

Fox swung his left leg over his handle bars, approaching Lombardi from the side, and reached for the frayed orange cloak at Falco's neck. He drew the falcon close with his right paw and buried his left paw against the left side of Falco's head. "FEATHERS-FOR-BRAINS!" shouted McCloud. "For the _LAST_ time, we ARE… NOT… Thieves!" Fox shoved Falco back against his bike then added, "We are a sort of _People's Appropriation Committee_. That is why we raid only _Imperial Ships_."

Fox pivoted on his heel and stormed through the garage, heading into the den. He cursed Falco's idea with a caustic string of cusswords. His red cloak billowed out behind him giving a view of his tail, puffed up with fur standing on end. He slammed the door behind himself and headed for his room.

Peppy reached out to Falco's orange cape and gave a gentle tug on the fabric to free it of wrinkles from the way Fox had grasped it. He smoothed out Falco's cloak with his right palm then patted the teenager on his back. "Falco, my good raptor, have you forgotten the _golden rule_?"

Falco threw his right wing up into the air and frowned, unwilling to favor the bruise behind his left eye. "Yeah, I _know_, but…" He trailed off with a sigh.

"Make the guy with the _gold_ pay!" Peppy exclaimed with a wave of his left paw. He still wore his riding gloves and held his paw with the palm facing up and his pointer finger out. "We are like Rob-in-Hood. Friends of the _poor_. Heroes of the _downtrodden aliens_."

'_Illegal or otherwise,_' Falco thought to himself, half remembering this same speech from the last time he had this talk with Peppy.

Hare patted Falco's shoulder again and, instead, added, "Snappy _dressers_!" then gave a tug on the purple sleeve of Falco's jumpsuit which caused a slight grin to tug at the corner of the avian's beak. Peppy's right ear-stalk flopped over like a lock of unruly bangs. "If Imperial Venom doesn't remember us for our methodical strikes, they'll at least remember us for our fashion, right?"

Falco's frown disappeared and he shook his head to hide the weak smile that spread across his face. He played off the light chuckle with a cough then changed the subject. "So, you think Fox is moping in his room right now?"

"He's in a contemplative mood," Peppy replied. The rabbit nudged Falco on the shoulder and directed the avian's attention to a box on the back of his bike. "Look," he said, opening the lid. On the top of the team's personal supplies, confiscated from the scow, sat an android pig head. "From what I understand, Andross put all the memories of Pigma's father in this thing. It's complicated, you know? Fox now has old anger on his mind, so just let him cool off for a while."

"Yeah," he said in reply to Peppy's advice. Falco perked up and glanced back at the door. "I hear Slippy coming." He moved to the far wall and the rabbit followed to give Slippy landing room.

Toad's engine grew louder until it was nearly deafening. He emerged in the entrance and fired his brake thrusters, skidding to a halt on the dirt flooring. He swung his legs over the side of the machine and hopped to the ground then headed straight for the door to the den.

Falco coughed into his fist, drawing Slippy's attention. "Aren't you forgetting something, frog face? Last one in has to fuel the bikes and give'em a bath!"

"Later," Slippy said. He opened the door to the den, stepped through and pulled it shut without a further word. Falco and Peppy exchanged surprised glances then headed across the subterranean garage to see what was going on.

Meanwhile, Fox leaned back in his favorite chair – the one he slept in when Fay visited last season. He propped his head with his left arm, holding a photograph of his father in his right paw. His tail flitted listlessly between his ankles and he sighed without a word. '_Father…_' His eyes studied the photograph.

Corneria City glistened in the background with a picture-perfect clear blue sky in the back. James McCloud helped place his communicator headset onto his son's head in the foreground. The little boy wore overalls and looked no older than six or seven. James wore the Inari aviator scarf around his neck and a silver jacket with aviator shades in the breast pocket. '_I have so many questions, Dad,_' he thought with a frown.

McCloud's ears flickered, disturbed by the shout of Slippy Toad. "Fox!" The frog followed up with a knock on the door then added, "There was this _holo-telegraph_ for you at the village." McCloud slid out of his chair, passed his red cape which hung from one of the oak tree's roots lining the wall, then placed the picture on his dresser adjacent to one of his mother. He slumped back into his chair then sat up so as not to suggest that he'd been brooding over the past and cleared his throat suggestively.

Out in the hall, Slippy switched the glossy red chip from his left hand to his right one, opened the door and announced, "It's from _Director General Pepper_ of Corneria's _Planetary Defense Council_."

Fox eased up onto his elbows further and blinked rapidly. "_General_ Pepper? Hmm? I thought he was only a _Sergeant_."

Slippy passed the card to Fox and lifted his hands, webbed fingers outstretched. "Maybe he needs a band of _ruthless mercenaries_ who know _no fear_."

Fox casually lifted his left paw to scratch just beneath his ear. "Yeah, sure." He felt a hidden sense of relief that they didn't catch him moping again. Peppy and Falco peered into the doorway, half leaning around the corner to see what was going on. Upon hearing the exchange of dialogue, they stepped in the room, exchanging glances again. Fox walked over to the holo-emitter on his dresser and pushed the shiny card into the front loading slot then backed away from it, towards the rest of his team.

John Pepper - donned in a fancy new General's dress coat, aviator glasses, an officer's cap and a lollypop - filled the empty space above the dresser. "Ahem. Greetings, Fox. Is this thing _focused_?" He faced the wall, staring away from the team.

Slippy approached the dresser and swiveled the emitter box so that Pepper's image faced the rest of the team. A white glove reached outwards, as if pointing directly at McCloud. The hound took a lick of his candy then, in a professional voice, said, "You're one _difficult _guy to reach. Did you know the _communications cartel_ had you _excommunicated_ for _lack of payment_?" The general grinned at his own joke.

"Yeah, go figure," Fox grumbled. He folded his arms across his chest with a thoughtful frown on his muzzle.

"Here's the _deal,_ Fox." Pepper pointed outwards again, as if addressing McCloud's team. "I need the _best pilots_ in the star system, and that means _you_ and your team of _ruthless mercenaries_."

McCloud cut his gaze to Slippy who replied with a wry grin after hearing Pepper use the same line about being 'ruthless mercenaries'. Fox tilted his chin downwards, cocked a single eyebrow then shook his head, trying not to grin. His eyes slid back to the holographic message while Pepper continued the pre-recorded speech.

"Our engineers have developed the most _sophisticated star fighter_ in the _galaxy_," said the general which drew a round of rolled eyes from the trio of teenagers. Pepper never ceased his monologue. "The SFX ARWING – and equipped it with _state-of-the-art weapons_. Only a _squadron_ of _Arwing fighters_ can combat the growing _menace_ of the _Emperor's troops_." Pepper tucked his left fist behind his back and told them, "You'll be _well rewarded_ if you accept my offer and come to Corneria. Even as I record this message…" The visual changed to a schematic of the Arwing fighter, flashing over to images of frazzled looking pilots who failed to handle the Arwing properly in the past. Fox noted the patches on one of their sleeves… Delta Testing Squadron. Pepper's form returned.

"…Our world is under attack by _Imperial Lizard Troopers_." Pepper slid his candy into his cheek; the stick jutted from the right side of his muzzle. He drew his aviator glasses from his snout and gazed directly into the holo-recorder. The team could see the serious look in his big brown eyes. "We need all the help we can _get_, even from _mangy outlaws_."

The corner of Fox's muzzle curled up with the hint of a snarl. "Who is he calling _mangy_?" demanded the vulpine.

"There isn't much _time_, McCloud. _Now_ is the time to _prove_ that you stand for _honor, decency _and _freedom of species_. I'll be _waiting_…" The recorder came to the conclusion and the emitter darkened. The ghostly visual seemed to sink back into the honeycomb grid of glowing glass on top of the holographic player, like a genie retreating to his bottle.

Fox and Falco exchanged glances then grinned. Falco turned to Peppy shared a grin and a glance. Slippy coughed into his hand. He cleared his throat, said, "I'll go check the net for the next flight to Corneria," and left the room. Meanwhile, Fox, Falco and Peppy exchanged high-fives.

"We're going to be rich," Falco crowed. "You heard him; he said _well rewarded_!" Lombardi pumped his feathery fist in excitement. "We're getting off this stupid rock!"

"Relax," Peppy exclaimed with a chuckle. "It could take a few days to even arrange a way out to Corneria. We don't exactly have money, you know?"

"Hey guys!" called Slippy from the other room. "A Phoenix Transport ship leaves in one hour!"

A broad grin crossed over Fox's face. "Mount up, boys!" He grabbed his red cloak and his father's communicator helmet. "I have an idea that's way better than a set of tickets. Peppy, arrange for a taxi to come pick us up. I'll get us in; just follow my lead when we get there."

"This should be interesting." Falco's smirk evolved into a lopsided sort of smile.

* * *

_Forty-five minutes later…_

**Peppy held the lid to the cylinder and watched the frog climb up the side **of the tube. "What's this stuff for, again?"

Slippy eased his feet into the tube and reached over the side to take the lid from Peppy. "It's a nutrient-enriched solution designed to supplement a C-c-cryo-mud bath. It's how the rich pamper themselves to obtain sparkling, soft fur. They mix this solution with the mineral-rich mud and…"

Peppy shoved the lid into Slippy's hands and held his paws up in a defensive posture. "Enough, please!"

"You asked," Slippy muttered. He sank down into the container; some of the sparkling liquid poured out from the top. He pulled the lid down and sealed the container from the inside. A green pressurization light flashed on the keyboard panel at hip-level on the side of the tube. A hiss of oxygen came from the special ventilation grill located on the back of the metallic cylinder.

Peppy shook his head and walked back across the dock. He peered around the corner and grinned at the sight of Fox talking to one of the dock hands as a distraction. He quickly sprinted to the building's side exit and opened the door. Falco stepped in with his feathery wings on his hips.

Lombardi fluffed his frayed orange cloak. "Fox is distracting more than one dock worker, I hope."

Peppy gave the avian a shove towards a line of cargo containers. "Slippy helped me to hotwire a forklift. We used a rock on the gas peddle to put it on 'autopilot' and sent it careening through the opening to the next warehouse over. The dock hands will be busy for the next ten minutes; follow me." The two dashed across the abandoned warehouse and located a cargo pod that would hold at least three people. They opened the hatch and quickly removed the neatly packed food.

It took all of five minutes for them to stuff the food into the cargo containers on the immediate left and right then force those pods shut. They eyed the empty container and Peppy grinned. "It's actually pretty roomy. C'mon, climb in there."

"Aw man," Falco shook his head and climbed into the cylindrical pod. "It's pretty roomy in here, I admit," he said, scooting to the far end. Peppy climbed in next but left the lid open a few inches.

"It's not so bad," Peppy replied, watching for Fox.

McCloud stood at the edge of the dock, using his paws to carry on his conversation. "And when do you think I could start the new job?"

"Head across the back lot," said the foreman. "There's an office in the trailer, there. You can tell one of the girls at the front desk that you need an application. You sound like a good, hardworking young man. It's been good talking to you, but I've got to get back to work."

Fox peered in through the main entrance of the warehouse and frowned. "Aren't you supposed to have… you know… a group of workers in there?"

The foreman peered in through the entrance to the empty warehouse then looked back to the teenager. "You're right, kid. I bet those lousy bums are all out having a smoke break on the other side of the building. Just wait until I find'em."

Fox pushed his paw into the husky's and said, "I'll see my own way out to the office. You go find your crew. I'll be in touch and we can have a _formal_ interview when you call me. Thanks again, sir!"

"Sure thing, kid." The foreman turned away from Fox and headed towards the other warehouse. He turned down a concrete path between the two buildings. Once he was out of Fox's sight, the young pilot bolted back into the abandoned dock and ran through the line of cargo containers.

"Over here!" Peppy hissed, opening the lid to one of them. "Did he buy it?"

"Yeah," Fox said, hopping into the cargo tube. "What a freakin' sucker!" He wiggled over towards Falco, so that Lombardi was now in the middle. Peppy wiggled into one far end and Fox knelt down at the other side. "You guys did a great job; let's all stay quiet until they move us out of here."

"Yeah," Falco grumbled, getting down as low as he could to stay comfortable. "It's not as roomy in here, anymore."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Peppy muttered in retort.

Falco glared at Fox although his expression went unseen in the pitch dark. "Stowaways?"

"Stop _grousing_," Fox replied with a flat tone. "We may be _leaving_ without a _cent_, but one day we'll be _back_ and _stinking rich_." The line of cargo pods shifted hard and the group drew quiet.

The sound of a tractor shuttle's engines filled the warehouse and the cargo pods bumped one another as the shuttle pulled them off their palates. Within another few minutes, the cargo pods were airborne in a line behind the shuttle.

Falco shifted his weight uncomfortably and Fox couldn't help but feel empathetic towards his teammate. He patted the falcon's shoulder and said, "Pepper should have sent starliner tickets, _first class_." Falco and Peppy grunted in agreement.

The cargo pods came to rest in the hold of the massive cruiser and the team stayed quiet while the dockhands shifted the cargo container order. Once the pods were lined up and secured they could hear the klaxon warning blare throughout the hold. The hydraulic hiss of the bay doors closing stirred their excitement. The trio seemed restless, squished together inside of a cargo container pod.

The noise turned to silence and the ship began to vibrate. "They don't waste any time," Peppy noted. "I guess our monkey wrench into their tight schedule didn't help, either." A humming sound joined in the soft vibrations.

Fox elbowed Falco. "Get set for _acceleration shock_. What I would give for a pair of _anti-gravity underwear_."

"They make those?" Falco chortled in reply.

"One could wish," Peppy mused aloud.

Falco turned towards the rabbit and announced, "Hey!" He cleared his throat and added, "_Where's Slippy?_" The vibrating turned into a rumbling sensation.

"Hiding out in the _Cryo-Mud Baths_. Amphiboids have it _made_." Peppy sighed as if in longing. The rumbling grew and the humming seemed almost deafening. Suddenly, the noise stopped.

Fox knew that the humming only continued up until the sound barrier was broken. He also knew what came next. "This is it! HOLD ON!" The ship's four main plasma engines fired at full burn; the acceleration shock caused a fantastic amount of G's to pin them to the bottom of the cargo pod. The ship broke through Papetoon's atmosphere in mere seconds. The gravity force shifted hard, stirring the triumvirate around in the pod. Falco attempted to grab one of the interior straps designed to hold cargo still but couldn't seem to grab purchase.

The end result was three pilots in an unceremonious position, stuffed inside the cargo container. Gravity returned to normal, simulated by the cruiser. Falco found himself sitting on top of Fox with his legs splayed across Peppy's back. Fox wiggled uncomfortably beneath Falco, his face pressed up against his shoulder, sandwiched against the rounded curvature at the far end of the pod. Everything became quiet.

* * *

**Zerda Phoenix adjusted his glasses**. Fara glanced up at him and offered a scornful glare. "Stop fidgeting, Daddy." She lowered her gaze back to his red bowtie and shifted the fabric beneath his jaw then made the final loop. She folded his collar down over the red fabric and then reached up to pat her father's cheek. "There, now it looks _right_."

"Thank you, sweetheart. I don't know what I'd do without you." Zerda offered a pleasant smile then turned his attention towards Mr. Bosworth, a chubby but kindhearted pig. Bosworth's purple tie looked perfect. It always did. The podgy pig gave a tug on his bright orange sweater vest then nodded politely to Fara. "What do you think, Bosworth?"

The pig grinned. "She's pretty good, Mister Phoenix. I think it just needed a lady's touch, Sir."

"You're probably right," Zerda replied. "Fara, why don't you go and take a tour of the new ship. This is her second flight but we won't arrive on Corneria until this time tomorrow."

"I'll do that." Fara took her silver jacket off and handed it to Bosworth then adjusted the turtleneck leotard vest that seemed to be in retro-trend. "I'll be around." She shifted her attention to the matching purple gloves that came up past her elbows. "I'm a fashion disaster, aren't I?"

"I disagree," said Bosworth. "It's a purple leotard with a turtleneck, green tights and arm-length gloves but you pull it off well because of the complexion of your fur. I think light colors and even pastels compliment your tone very well, Miss Phoenix."

Fara turned to her father and grinned then cut her eyes back to the pig. "I've always liked you, Bosworth. You're one of the few men with whom I can talk about fashion." She leaned in and kissed the side of her father's muzzle then turned towards the doors leading out of the convention room. She stepped into the hall and stretched.

A sign on the wall read, "BALLROOM 1." Beneath it, the words, "HOLD" with an arrow pointing right covered the rest of the wall. Another arrow, pointing left, was labeled "CAFETERIA".

The ship jolted hard to port and Fara stumbled against the wall. "What in the world was _that_? If I didn't know any better," she trailed off into silence. '_It felt like someone just docked on the side of the starliner but that's impossible!'_ she thought.

Fara turned right and ran to the end of the hall. She peered out through a porthole and didn't see anything. "I wonder if they brushed a small asteroid," she thought out loud. The fennec approached the communicator terminal built into a wall but thought better of the situation and shook her head. "They'd know if they were being boarded or if they brushed something out there. They don't need some nineteen year old know-it-all girl telling them how to fly her daddy's ship." She sighed and shook her head. "If I'm not careful, the stress of that last mission is liable to have me start talking to myself."

A series of shouts came from the ballroom down the hall. Fara blinked twice and darted back up the corridor the way she came. She opened one of the doors and saw the crowd of passengers being herded by a group of lizards. Her jaw dropped. '_Did they follow me?_' she wondered in shock.

"Get the one over by the door!" shouted an Imperial guard. Fara decided these weren't the same guys from Meteor Land, based on their uniforms and the way they were armed. These guys looked more like a Special Forces attack squad. One of them rushed towards Fara.

She backed away from the door and pulled it shut. As soon as he reached for the knob, she kicked it open, knocking the soldier to the ground. Fara pivoted on her heel and darted off towards the hold. She made a beeline for the communications panel on the wall. The vixen reached for the emergency call button but a scaly hand reached out and took her wrist. She froze.

"I wouldn't do that my dear," said a triumphant looking Captain Adler.

She scrunched her brows and narrowed her gaze. "Who in the hell are you?"

"Don't make this hard on yourself," Adler replied.

Fara slid her foot in between his ankles then leaned forward to knock him off balance but the specially trained combat operative was ready for her. He snatched her by the shoulders and slammed her up against the bulkhead. Fara struggled under his grasp.

"You're the daughter, right?" He looked her over with a hiss then said, "Yes-s-s, you're obviously the daughter; if you want to remain in one piece, you'll come with me."

Fara leaned her head away as if repulsed by his breath then, without further warning, she head butted him in the face and broke free of his grasp. She sprinted down the hall and he broke into a chase after her.

* * *

**"We can't stay in this salt shaker forever. I'm taking a look around.**_" _Fox McCloud put his right foot up against Falco's hip and gave a shove.

Peppy lifted his head, trying to get out from beneath Falco's feet and said, "Impatient like your dad."

Falco reached up and unfastened the lid to the horizontal cargo capsule. It came ajar with a simple 'click' and he peered up over the back of the hinged cover. Fox's head popped up, looking in the opposite direction. Music from the nearby Ballroom floated down the hall and reverberated off the walls of the cargo hold. Two female squirrels walked by the intersection, seen from across the hold. They wore adorably skimpy gowns and each held a glass of bubbly amber liquid.

Falco narrowed his sharp hawk-like eyes. "We never shipped out like _this_ back home. No _champagne_. No _dancing squirrels_. How low the mighty have fallen." He glanced over at Fox, who seemed to be watching the squirrels as they passed back out of view.

Peppy's ears lifted high above his head. "Very moving, Falco, but _listen_." He placed his paw on Lombardi's beak then froze, as did the other two pilots. Soft gunfire distinguished itself as a subtle off-beat popping noise overtop of the ballroom music. "It sounds like _battle_ onboard!" The music came to a sudden end and the soft rhythmic sound of marching feet filled Peppy's ears. "Imperial Lizards!" He paused, listening with his ears. He knew that sending a large group of soldiers would be nearly impossible to do without someone noticing. The rabbit smirked and told them, "Only a _squad_, though. This should be a _picnic_."

"Are _you_ thinking what _I'm_ thinking?" Falco asked, turning to Fox.

Fox shrugged with a smile. "I'm thinking it's our sacred duty to relieve these lizards of the burden of command."

Falco's grin broadened. "Let's do it!" he said, leaping out of the cargo pod. Peppy hopped over the hinged metal lid and Fox vaulted out and onto the floor.

The vulpine pilot charged down the row of pods with his friends directly behind. "Here we go!" Fox cried in delight. He was itching for a good brawl with the lizards ever since this morning when he woke up.

The grand hallways of the ship filled with people who rushed out of the ballroom in fear. Just as Peppy predicted, a squad of lizards in purple uniforms led the citizens out in groups. A few of them wore backpacks with flame throwers, marching amongst the people with their guns held out in a threatening manner.

Fox moved to the intersection and stayed out of sight. Falco and Peppy moved to the opposite side and waited. Two more lizards passed. Fox stepped into the corridor and snatched a lizard by the wrist. The pilot reached for the soldier's handgun on his hip and pulled it from the holster while spinning the reptile off balance.

Two other lizards shouted for everyone to stop and moved to intervene. Falco held his winged hands out and Peppy put his foot into the feathery palms then leapt outwards, bringing his foot down on the closest Lizard. Falco turned to a nearby soldier and brought his knee up into the goon's gut. As soon as the lizard doubled over, Falco brought his fists down upon the lizard's head.

Meanwhile, Fox fired off two shots, taking out a Lizard over by the crowd then the one who stood directly in front of him. Another lizard standing in the center looked from Falco to Peppy with his jaw wide open. A brown-skinned reptile charged Fox at the same time Falco finished off his opponent with a right-handed uppercut. He picked the soldier up by his arms and grinned over at Fox who pistol whipped his approaching tan-scaled enemy.

"How's the _picnic_, Falco?" Fox asked with a grin. He took his slumped catch by the collar and lifted the lizard back to their feet.

"One _lizard sandwich_ coming up!" Falco replied, slamming his beaten foe against Fox's semi-conscious enemy. The two lizards dropped to the ground, motionless.

In the background, Peppy dropped atop of his enemy, burying his boot in the back of the lizard's head with a satisfying _smack_! Peppy dropped to his knee over the fallen Imperial Soldier. "Know what this picnic needs?"

The last remaining soldier took off down the hallway. His flamethrower dangled by its cord like an extended tail dragging the floor behind him. Fox brought the pistol up in his right paw and squeezed the trigger. The blaster shot struck the fleeing soldier who lost his footing and tumbled head over heels to the floor. "How about some _stir fry?_" Fox replied with a smug grin.

The lizards lay piled on the floor in silence. Fox gave a rehearsed twirl of his pistol then peered over his shoulder at his team with a grin. He engaged the safety on his weapon then waggled his brows a bit. His ears perked, listening to the exchange between Falco and Peppy; Lombardi turned to a nearby spring-water container and took a plastic cup from the side. He slid it beneath the nozzle and poured himself a cup of water then took a drink. "I guess they didn't expect such hazardous cargo._" _

Peppy brought his right paw to his chin, rubbing along the right side of his jaw. "But why send _Imperial Troops_ on a freighter?"

A sudden hush fell over the assembled crowd of passengers, followed by a sharp gasp further down the hall. Fox's ears flickered at the eerie quiet and he narrowed his eyes. "Something _strange_ is going on!" He turned back towards the crowd, side by side with Falco and Peppy.

Lombardi gawked at the sight of another lizard wearing a red suit with a yellow shoulder plate to signify an officer's rank. He tossed his cup of water on the floor and moved alongside of Fox. Peppy approached the people with a slow, diplomatic sense of caution.

The lizard seemed to be holding a female fennec hostage, his right arm around the woman's neck. He had a blaster to her head, square between her ears, secure in his left hand. "STAND STILL, scum bait, or the girl gets-s-s it! Some _hero_ you are, Fox McClown!" The lizard hissed then canted his head back to glance over his shoulder at an older male fennec at the front of the crowd.

Fox blinked in confusion; he recognized Captain Adler but not the hostage. "Is he _bluffing_? Who's the _hostage_?" Fox asked to no one in general. He drew his pistol up and flipped the safety back off.

Peppy's ears perked and he backed away from the lizard defensively, between Fox and Falco. "It's _no bluff!_ That's _Fara Phoenix,_ daughter of the _Spaceship Magnate_!" The trio cut their gaze to the well dressed fennec in the red bowtie at the front of the crowd. He looked faint and his right-hand assistant broke a sweat in trying to comfort the old soul.

"Yes-s-s. How clever." Adler brought the barrel of the gun down to Fara's left eye, just beneath her large fennec ear. He rested his chin on Fara's head, grinned then up-nodded to the old man over his shoulder with a grin. "_Father_ Phoenix over there is _dying_ to see what you'll do." He brushed the gun against the girl's cheek then drew it back and shifted her position up against his torso, beginning to back away from the team. "Now _drop_ your weapons! I've _got_ what I _want!_ Time to _leave_!"

Fox dropped the pistol on the floor and balled his paws into fists. Adler continued to back Fara Phoenix away from the crowd, towards the hold. He kicked Falco's spilled cup of water across the floor, moving past the water machine. Fox and company kept their distance. Adler cackled and told the girl, "Move your _tail_, precious." She arched her back, trying to keep her balance in the headlock. He leaned forward and whispered, "And after you tell me how to obtain a Nova Bomb, you are going to become my _personal_ prisoner while I figure out a way to make you pay for what you've done to my _brother_."

He jerked his head back as if motioning for her to hurry then backed up another few paces with his arm tight around her neck. "Didn't think I'd find out so quickly, hmm? We've been watching your every move, tramp. And don't think that idiot and his friends will help you, either. I've studied their moves and I'm ready for them this time." His soft words caused her ears to lower, lying back for a moment before perking them again to look back at the three dusty-looking men who apparently stowed away. Her gaze stopped on the one her captor referred to as Fox 'McClown' and recalled Fay mentioning his name, as well as the Mayor of the small town on Papetoon. He looked worried for her safety but confused by the situation, proof positive that he must have stowed away as opposed to following Adler's men aboard in hot pursuit.

Adler glanced back up at McCloud then panned his gaze over Peppy and Falco. "Sorry, no time for one of your famous _last-second rescues,_ McCloud." He shoved Fara forward to keep her at arm's length as a body shield then put the blaster to the back of her head, directly behind her left ear.

Fox blinked in confusion at the statement. Adler brushed his shoulder against the water machine. Without further warning, the lid rose up with a loud splash and Slippy Toad emerged from above the water container. He brought the lid down atop of Adler's head, throwing all of his weight into the attack. The lid dropped to the floor with a loud clang and Adler swayed to the right. His hands lifted as if trying to reach for his head; the gun hit the floor and Fara brought her left elbow up into the lizard's armpit to fully disengage the hold.

The Imperial Captain pivoted on his heel and dropped to the floor flat on his back. Fox broke into immediate laughter, alongside of Falco who brought his hand to his beak in disgust having previously drunk from that water container.

"Hey ya, Fox!" Slippy said, waving to his team down on the floor with a grin.

McCloud brought his left paw down onto his knee, half pointing up at his friend. "_Good timing_, Slippy." Meanwhile, Falco brushed his fingertips across his tongue as if trying to scrape off any germs.

Slippy began to crawl down the side of the water container, forgotten by McCloud whose attention now turned to the vixen. She brushed passed him, making brief eye contact then headed down the hall towards her waiting, worried father. Fox's eyes raked over her feminine figure, drinking in every curve.

Falco, still disgusted that he drank water from Slippy's hiding spot, turned to the amphibian and shouted, "We could have used your help _earlier_, Frog-Face."

Slippy brought a pensive finger to his chin with an apprehensive look on his face. "Sorry g-g-guys! I was t-t-taking a _bath_!" He backed away from Falco slowly until his shoulder met Peppy's paw.

Hare patted the frog's shoulder and said, "Take it _easy_ on him! He really _cleaned up!_" Falco and Slippy cut their gaze to Peppy with an admonishing glare for his poor pun intended to follow up with Slippy's bathing comment.

A portly pig walked down the hallway towards the team and politely tapped Fox on the back of his head. He cleared his throat and announced, "Mr. Fox McCloud _well done!_ Mr. Phoenix is _very_ grateful." He offered his left hand out. "Bosworth is the name."

Fox slid his left paw into the man's gloved hand and brought his right paw up to his jaw. Falco, Slippy and Peppy changed gears and approached Fox from behind. McCloud's grin broadened even further, causing Falco to rub his feathery fingers together. Fox's grin widened. "_How_ grateful, I wonder…?" He thought aloud. Peppy and Slippy seemed to tiptoe closer; Falco leaned in with an eager smile.

McCloud held his paws up defensively as if to gesture that he wasn't interested in large rewards. "_First class tickets_ would be _nice_." He smiled and Bosworth put a hand on the teen's shoulder with a pleasant smile. Falco jerked his chin up and his shoulders sank, craning his head inwards with broken-hearted glare. Slippy's jaw dropped in an incredulous gawk and Peppy sank from his tiptoes with a groan of misery.

* * *

**Fara Phoenix sank down in front of her computer** and opened a channel to Fay. The perky white-furred spaniel came into focus and offered a boisterous smile then blinked and cocked her head. She eyed Fara for a moment then a slight grin tugged at the corner of her maw. "I know that look, fennec. _You_ are downright, undeniably _smitten_ with someone; I can tell by your eyes, girl."

"I met him," said Fara, trying to hold back a giggle. "Fox McCloud; I met him. I … I don't know. He's here, right now, as a guest on daddy's new Starliner but how he got here is complicated and, you know…"

"Fara, your father owns the ship. You _could_ have asked for a _date_!" She threw her furry paws out in distress, eyes narrowed at Phoenix.

The vixen shook her head, hiding a blush. "I've got _other things_ on my mind."

Fay smirked. "Like testing those new _Arwing Fighter pilots_?" She grinned again and added, "…Fox McCloud. It has a ring to it, don't you think? Fox McCloud, Fara McCloud. It sounds cute."

Fara mock-gasped and put her paw on her chest. "You think just because you know me and you know him, you think we're _that_ compatible? Being a little forward aren't you?" She shook her head, rolled her eyes then looked away from the monitor. "Fox McCloud," she repeated. "I admit it has a ring to it. So, how is the West Sector skyline, Fay?"

Spaniel shook her head with a frown. "We're grounded from the Venom assault that took this upper hemisphere by storm. They have a BAC patrolling Westtown. And it's not just _any_ Battle Attack Carrier. This thing is loaded to the gills, Fara. The starboard side launches fighters and missiles; the main section boasts a powerful Ion Canon that levels buildings with one blast."

"What is Capital Command doing about it?" asked Phoenix.

"Not much they can do." Fay sighed. "They're up to their floppy ears with keeping the borders safe and patrolling a one-mile No Fly Zone. It's a train wreck."

"I owe Venom a friendly visit, courtesy of Josh and some jerk named Adler. I'll see what I can do. Maybe Fox McCloud will come in handy, too." She offered a devious smile.

Fay reached out and tapped on the lens to her recorder, looking as though she were knocking on the other side of Fara's monitor. She then repeated, "Fox McCloud."

Fara nodded casually. "Fox McCloud."

The spaniel leaned back in her seat with a snarky grin. "Nice name."

"Hmm?" Fara cocked her head at her friend and furrowed her eyebrows, feigning mock confusion.

* * *

**You **_**could**_** have asked for a **_**moon**_**!" **Falco erupted. He threw his feathery hands out in distress, eyes narrowed at McCloud. Between them, Peppy stood up and removed his dark blue cloak, pulling it over his ears. The ambient sound of Slippy scrubbing his back with a bathing brush filled the room as the frog stretched out in a living room Jacuzzi.

Fox tucked his left arm behind his head and casually crossed his leg over his propped right knee, lying on a loveseat. "Moons aren't _nearly_ as _comfortable_," he explained, holding his right paw out with his palm up for effect. "Besides, I've got _other things_ on my mind…"

Falco smirked and placed his fists on his hips. "Like testing those new _Arwing fighters_?" Falco shook his head, glared at Fox and approached his friend slowly. He could see the look in McCloud's eyes… the smooth, shrewd and calculating vulpine mind was now focused on some vixen they only just saw less than an hour ago. Falco knew the look because he'd seen it on Katt Monroe's face before. He folded his arms across his chest and said, "Fara Phoenix? Nice name…"

Fox didn't fall for Falco's ploy and refused to admit that Falco was right. The teenage fox shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, offering a subtle, '_huh_?' expression.

Falco rolled his eyes, glared at Fox and said nothing. McCloud on the other hand closed his eyes and leaned back on the loveseat. He refused to give Falco the satisfaction of being right. Yes, his mind _was_ on Fara Phoenix and yes, she did have a _nice name_, but he wasn't ready to admit it. In fact, the Arwings were the last thing on his mind at that very moment.

* * *

**Four silver Arwings streaked across the Cornerian sky** line, breaking into the stratosphere. The team took on a diamond formation and swooped about to the starboard, then eased back to a group climb. So far, they'd tackled every holographic ring, performed aerobatic stunts around test drones fashioned to look like enemy ships and they even managed extra points by loop-de-looping several hover-rings twice.

Back at the base, General Pepper and Lieutenant Chester watched the sensor display in silence. Pepper adjusted his aviator glasses, staring through them at the bright green glass that displayed the location of everything in the sector. He lowered his head, watching the yellow-grid screen beneath the main display, which had a polygon display of the lead Arwing. The status was indicated by a green outline of the Arwing which rotated on the small monitor.

"How's the training going, Lieutenant?" asked Pepper, unwrapping a lime lollypop and flitting his tongue over it.

Chester glanced over his right shoulder and announced, "Very well, General." He reached for a button on the panel adjacent to the yellow status monitor and pressed 'print'. A white sheet rose up from a slot on the control board and the Lieutenant ripped it free. He pointed to a bold line halfway down the page and turned back over his left shoulder with a grin. His eyes flitted up and down over the superior officer standing directly behind his chair. "The team has achieved a rating of _one hundred fifteen percent_."

Pepper nodded, murmuring softly to himself, hiding his satisfied smile. He cleared his throat and reached his left paw out. "Open a channel to Fox."

Lieutenant Chester removed the headset from between his ears and offered it to Pepper with a nod. "Aye, Sir." He grinned again, knowing that the General was absolutely pleased.

Pepper turned the headset sideways in his paw and spoke into the microphone. "Fox? Pepper here."

Fox's tinny voice came over the control room speakers. "Want me to pick up some _salt_?" Apparently Pepper hadn't been privy to the 'picnic' joke the team had beat into the ground, just as a knock to Peppy. It seemed typical for a group of teenagers to pick on a middle-aged friend for saying one-liners that the kids considered cheesy sounding.

Pepper shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Don't be a wise guy!"

"Sorry." Fox chuckled over the open channel. "It's just that these ships _really cook_!"

On a private channel, Peppy groaned to the rest of the team. This brought about a round of chuckles from both Falco and Slippy, something Pepper couldn't hear on the private channel with McCloud. Fox cleared his throat and added, "I can fly circles, square and triangles around any Imperial fighters!" The vulpine pilot's ego flared up in his voice.

Pepper wedged the candy into the left side of his muzzle and made a hand gesture to the Lieutenant. "Don't get cocky, Fox. Imperial fighters aren't your only worry." He motioned to a nearby computer console that showed the status of a fifth Arwing fighter. The Lieutenant nodded in understanding and wheeled his chair over to the other console, opening a channel to the other fighter with new orders.

Over the main speakers, Fox's tinny voice replied, "What are you talking about?"

Over the skies of Corneria, Fox shifted his weight in the cockpit chair. In unison, over the private channel, Peppy and the team chorused, "It must be a test!"

Fox lowered his head, cupping the side of his communicator with his left palm. He released a sigh of frustration, thinking to himself how he really hated tests. His train of thought became derailed at the radio reply of Peppy Hare. "Fox! Bogey on your six!" He pulled up above McCloud. The team leader eased forward on his flight yolk, lowering his nosecone to make an evasive dive, picking up momentum energy.

A black fighter skillfully wedged between the two Arwings, bearing down atop of McCloud's Arwing. Fox's jaw dropped, his eyes lifting to the sleek stealth Arwing above. A voice came over a private frequency, addressed only to McCloud's headset. The sultry feminine voice caught him off guard. "I've got your wing covered!" She lowered her fighter so that the belly was less than four meters above McCloud's cockpit canopy.

Fox leaned forward and rerouted the private frequency to all channels. He narrowed his eyes in frustration and clinched his teeth. "Who is that clown? That's no bogey! Hold your fire!"

The feminine voice, now routed to the entire team, sounded rather delightful. "Thank you, gentlemen." She eased her fighter over, inverted above Fox's ship. "That's the _second_ time you've saved my life." She offered a playful, dainty wave to Fox with her gloved left hand and added, "Hello again. Mind if I drop in?" She guided her fighter lower to Fox's, so that the canopy was less than eight feet from his.

Fox simply blurted out, "Fara Phoenix!" He blinked twice then, regaining composure, asked, "So what's a nice girl like _you_…?"

Fara offered him a broad grin, interrupting his cliché inquiry with, "Save it, Fox. I've been flying since I was a kit." Her grin widened, then, "Why do you think I'm _Chief Test Pilot?" _She blew a kiss to him, waited to see his eyes widen, then punched her throttle. Her afterburner ignited in a brilliant glow and she called back to him. "Think you can catch me?"

Without delay, Fox pushed his accelerator lever, throttling his ship wide open. Watching from his cockpit as the two blew by, Peppy shook his head and sighed. "They're going the wrong way!"

"Try telling that to Fox!" Falco laughed, glad to see his friend still had some gull behind the controls of a multi-million credit prototype machine.

Back on the base, Lieutenant Chester whirled about in his chair and gestured to the main status glass with his left paw. "General, two of the Arwings have entered Imperial Space!" Behind the two up front, three more changed their course to follow. All five headed across the boarder, through the No Fly Zone and into Venom Controlled airspace, due west of the Capital City limits.

Pepper shifted his lollypop around to the right side of his muzzle and removed his shades with his right hand. His eyes widened, glaring at the display. "Oh no!" He took Chester by the right bicep and pushed the Lieutenant back from the station, approaching the screen. The two fell silent as crew members in the background stood up from behind their stations to see what was going on.

* * *

A/N: _Sorry it took so long. The day after I posted the last chapter, I hammered out FIFTEEN PAGES to this new chapter. Then I became engrossed in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Then I came down with a head cold. I'm sorry it took so long, gang! Blargh! _

_-Kit_

_PS: I'm satisfied with the way this chapter came out. I'm equally satisfied with the first 15 pages I have for Chapter 9, thusfar. The Thrill Is Gone, episode 3 of the comic, started with Fox saving Fara AGAIN. But then Itoh gives us this whole "play the game, one level at a time" in just a few frames, suddenly, Fox comes in and he's holding Fara close to him, with her paws on his chest... now, how in the world did they suddenly get so close in only one page? Well, I'm thinking that while Fox was out on all these missions, one at a time, he was spending the evenings getting closer to Fara... so in the next chapter, I begin to detail how they start growing closer between sorties. Don't worry, Krystal Fans... this is still YEARS before he goes to Sauria... it'll happen. xD_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter -9-  
"The Thrill is Gone"

* * *

**Colorful Westtown ****smoldered in ruins**. The Flea-class fighter dominated the skyline and fires dotted the landscape, far below. Fara's plan worked; she and Fox flew into the fray side by side. A squadron of Fleas came about and opened fire on the duet. 

"Now you'll really see some fireworks!" Fara cried in a gleeful tone. She pulled back on her controls and executed a tight loop. Coming out of the maneuver, she leveled out and opened fire on the squadron's wing commander, scattering debris in every direction.

"Great shot, Fara!" Fox exclaimed. "You sure peeled the paint off that fighter." Fox face-faulted, realizing just how 'pre-teen' he sounded. Instead of making excuses, he rolled to the left and used his twin blaster canons to destroy two more Venom fighters.

Fara watched Fox's quick offensive maneuvers and grinned. In a teasing voice she replied, "Is that supposed to be a compliment?" She couldn't help but grin. She knew he was feeling a combat high from adrenaline; she felt it too.

"Call it a professional assessment!"

Fara smirked but the expression melted into near laughter from excitement. "Just keep your nose dry." Her retort sounded almost professional but the boisterous tone in her voice suggested more. She came about and mashed her thumbs down upon the flight yolk. The fighter bucked; a gush of blaster fire filled the cone of vision in front of her. The engines of her prey began to spew thick black smoke and her enemy skimmed the roofline of a skyscraper. It began to spin with wild abandon, like a rock skipping off the water.

She opened fire again and shattered the hull; the smoking engines separated from the fighter and crashed through an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town. The remainder of the Flea broke away from its large wings and burst into flames. The fuel line ruptured, causing the hull to disintegrate over Highway Sixty-Seven. The fireball struck an Imperial Venom tank, engulfing the second enemy into flames.

"Two for the price of one!" giggled the Chief Test Pilot, stomping her rudders to perform a victory barrel roll.

Peppy Hare guided his own fighter between Falco and Slippy, leading them over the Commercial district. "Let's have some fun, boys."

Falco pulled to the right, giving Peppy room to move up and canted his head to the left to watch the two vulpine pilots light up the sky. "Talk about _flirting_ with danger. Fox must be mad!" He grinned.

"Don't sweat it, Falco. Fox is under control." Peppy opened fire on a nearby enemy. In the distance, Slippy began a barrel roll in an attempt to repel enemy attacks. The three came together in a delta pattern with Peppy in the lead. The trio swooped into a dive, using their blasters to detonate a fuel truck beneath a battle walker. The ensuing explosion threw the walker's legs out from beneath it; the three story battle-bot tilted to the right and capsized in a fiery burst. Peppy let out a battle cry, glad to be back in the thick of action after several years. He almost yearned for a cigar to be clenched between his teeth like when he was in his early twenties.

On the other side of the highway, the support of an onyx glass building gave way. It toppled to the right, crushing the walker beneath. Peppy pulled back on his control stick, leading the team back up from their dive-bomb run. He glanced over at his altimeter then targeted the next squadron of Flea fighters.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of town, Fox and Fara passed through a miasma of smoke; a green field stretched out before them. Large factories filled the rearview monitor with the view of rolling hills opening up in the distance. A massive Battle Attack Carrier moved into the valley; the two large missile turrets on the starboard side opened, as did the hanger door of the carrier section on the port.

Fara broke into nervous laughter, recalling this to be the obstacle which kept Fay and other pilots grounded in this sector. She blinked twice, tilted her head and exclaimed, "That is the biggest trash-compactor I've ever seen." She boosted her throttle and Fox moved to follow suit. She glanced over at the fighters that gushed out of the hanger and frowned; dozens of red dots filled her sensor scope. "I'll take out the garbage!" she added with a glance down at her shield gauge. So far, she'd not yet taken a single scratch.

"No, Fara!" Fox punched the boosters in an attempt to keep up with her. "That carrier is too powerful! One ion missile and you'll be…" His warning came too late. The massive cannon on the front flashed. Fox saw the entire scene in slow motion. The glowing sphere of energy lanced out and struck the black Arwing's belly. The shiny orange gravity-diffusing struts shattered like glass from the force of the impact. The energy transfer caused the G-diffusing units to overload in an instant; the polarity of the struts caused them to push away from the hull.

The starboard wing stabilizer snapped at the joint and the powerful inertia of the blast stole her fighter's forward momentum. Her ship began to drop, plummeting straight towards the valley, over a hundred stories below. Fara tightened her lip and mentally apologized to Fay. She could see the ground rushing up at her doomed ship. Venom tanks littered the field like sharks, waiting to seize the moment. She knew she couldn't be captured; Venom wanted her too badly to go easy on her. If their previous attempts of kidnapping her were any indication, she knew that capture would be far worse than a fatal crash landing.

She licked her lips apprehensively. Over the radio, she heard a concerned voice. "Fara! You're hit!"

The stealth-black Arwing began to spin in its freefall state. The world spun about before her, the nosecone remained at the center as the heavy engine compartment forced the back end to swing about, picking up speed. The world seemed like a blur now and the cacophony of cockpit alarms screamed. Their faded cries seemed like a million miles away; everything felt slow and she couldn't help but sit there, calmly, watching the digital altimeter numbers roll backwards at a rapid rate. "I must have blinked back there!" She couldn't help but try and joke about it. She was guilty of rushing into this for the sake of a friend; she broke orders because she turned business into something more personal. She felt as though she deserved this fate for running into a fight like a novice.

"This is no joke! Bail out!" She could hear the snarling of worry and rage in Fox's words, even over the static-riddled radio transmission.

She glanced up at the swirling dots of Flea fighters then down at the blurry green pastures, littered with dots that represented tanks. "It won't do much good. We're surrounded by Imperial Forces." Her cockpit began to cloud up with smoke, the nose lowered and the gravity of her freefall caused her ears to droop.

"Trust me, Fara!" She heard Fox shout with a measure of demand in his voice. "Eject! Now!" His urgent tone brought about a grim smile from the fennec. She glanced down at the ejection button and sighed, torn in feelings on how to go about dying. So much for luxuries. She glanced up, above the smoke that filled her cockpit and saw the sports stadium in the distance. She suddenly shook her head and decided to make a snap decision of trust regarding this man. If Fay trusted him, she knew she could do it, too.

"I hope you brought your catcher's mitt." She glanced back down at the button then mashed it with her right index finger. The entire canopy lurched free of the fighter; the ventilation system hissed, jettisoning the smoke through the ports beneath her seat. The force of the ejection pinned her to her seat; she tensed up, clinching her eyes.

Beneath her, the remains of her personal Arwing continued to fall, smoking in defeat. She mashed down on a button labeled "Atmospheric Ejection use ONLY." A pole extended out of the back of the canopy and a metallic fan snapped open. The rate of fall suddenly decreased dramatically. The unit began to float at a leisurely pace; her altimeter display went from racing backwards to ticking back one number at a time, every several seconds. Fara smiled in an almost sad way. "The anti-grav sail is open, Fox."

Fox leveled out and punched several buttons on his dashboard. He re-routed power to different systems then shut down his G-Diffuser system. He could feel the pressure of one and a half G's on his chest. He continued to toy with the buttons on his dash, causing the gravity diffusing strut to rotate into a horizontal position. Recalling Fara's pun about catching her with a mitt, he returned, "I haven't dropped the ball _yet_." The strut continued to turn. Somewhere in the background, Peppy and the team made a pass, which took out one of the two missile turrets on the side of the large Venom contraption. Their pass ended and they continued off into the distance.

The large turret slammed into the ground and somewhere off to the left, Fara's defeated Arwing slammed into the earth, erupting into flames. Fox swooped in, catching the pole between her sail and her cockpit. The satisfying metallic noise told Fox that he had her tightly lodged against the side of his fighter. "Talk about your world-class saves!" He couldn't help but laugh in the face of near misfortune. He also couldn't help but make a sports related pun on the matter.

Peppy came about with the team behind him. "The game isn't over, Junior! The Battle Attack Carrier is moving in!"

Fox's field of vision was blocked by the large metal flaps that covered his canopy. He could see beneath them but nothing above himself. He brought up his holographic visual, trusting not only his instincts but his instruments to fly the Arwing. "I'll give them a taste of my blasters," Fox mused to himself, not realizing his channel was still open. The twin blasters struck the joints where the missile turret connected to the body of the massive carrier ship. He lined up the targeting reticule with the hanger doors then locked on. "Then we'll top it off with a Nova Bomb!" He mashed down on the trigger switch and the Arwing bucked.

A cylindrical container rushed out from beneath his fighter with a glowing trail of fire behind it. The booster created a unique noise as the bomb raced towards its target, disappearing inside of the carrier's hanger doors. Fox began to ease back on his stick just as the bomb detonated inside of the carrier. The concussive force created a shockwave that caused his shields to shimmer. Fox climbed for altitude, a satisfied grin on his muzzle.

Over the radio, Falco sighed almost despondently. "It really ruffles my feathers the way Fox _always_ gets the last shot."

Almost overtop of the avian, Slippy added, "What a s-s-stunt! My brain hurts just th-thinking about doing it."

A proud smile crept across Peppy's maw. "He's like his father. He has class, style, and grace under pressure – A real renaissance fox!" He chuckled softly at the memories of his deceased friend, James McCloud.

Meanwhile, beneath Fox's Arwing, Fara opened a channel directly to Fox's headset. "Can you hear me Fox?"

"Loud and clear."

She leaned back in her seat, rubbing her palms against her face. "It seems I owe you again."

Fox's voice no longer had a tinny static noise behind it. He sounded as though he were speaking directly into her ear. "I should have been covering your wing." His words made her smile again.

"Yeah, next time." Corneria's capital filled the distant skyline as the somber quartet returned home, expecting a lecture on the misuse of Government property.

* * *

"**This is awkward,**" said Pepper, paws on his hips. "We've lost an Arwing and, subsequently, an entire second Arwing Squadron, led by Miss Phoenix." His eyes panned across the five pilots in the debriefing office above the flight deck. "And, worst of all, this wasn't an approved attack mission, so there's a lot of paperwork involved, not to mention the media circus." 

Fara began to explain. "Sir, it was completely my fault; I was…" but found herself interrupted by a gesture from the General.

"However," continued the aging hound. "I somehow doubt the media will concentrate on the fact that you five broke the chain of command. I doubt that they'll focus on your insubordination, Miss Phoenix. As far as they're concerned, a group of test pilots inadvertently crossed the border and _liberated_ Westtown from Venom Control. Imperial forces have withdrawn completely from the _entire sector_, after Fox delivered the coup de grace to their Carrier." He turned to McCloud and placed his paw on the boy's shoulder. "You did good, rescuing a fellow pilot. You also brought your ship back in one piece, so I can't really fault you. You also followed your Chief Test Pilot, so you didn't break any rules or laws. It's a loophole, if you ask me. But I know your father was the one out there today, taking back Corneria one city at a time. I knew James; what you did was very…"

Peppy blurted, "McCloud-ish."

Pepper nodded. "Exactly right. You risked your own life to save another, while simultaneously winning the day's battle. Just remember, don't go looking for a fight and be careful not to get yourself killed, Fox. I brought you back here to follow in his paw prints, not to follow his prints all the way to the last steps he ever took."

"So what's your idea, Sir? Why did you bring me back?" asked the teenager. "To take your new jet to Venom and destroy Andross?"

"Absolutely not," retorted the General with a stern look. "I brought you here to test these fighters; I know your academy record and you qualify to fly under the strict conditions set forth by this fighter. The average pilot would be dizzy after one run, Fox. I also brought you here to help clean up Corneria. Leave the rest of this war to my army."

"Bullshit," exclaimed McCloud. He threw his paws up into the air and turned away from John Pepper, flicking his tail in annoyance.

"Excuse me, young man?" Pepper folded his arms over his chest and tilted his head. "I don't think you understand me, Fox. I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself, young man. In time, I _might_ be willing to put you in charge of an attack run against Venom, but only with a lot of hard work, perseverance and commitment to duty… that means following orders."

"Where can I buy a few Arwings?" Fox turned back to Pepper and stared into the hound's face. "I'll fly them off of the GreatFox Cruiser. I have a small hanger, there. My team isn't signing up for the Military; we agreed to work for ourselves. I'll agree to fly your prototype fighters all over Corneria and clean up this planet, but then I'm going back to Papetoon and fixing up the GreatFox. I plan to fly against Venom and I expect you to pay me when we win your war for you."

"Those are very bold words, young man." Pepper kept his stern look then removed the blue dress cap from his brow. "This is an awkward situation for me. Fara is grounded but won't receive a dock in pay or benefits." He turned his head to gaze at the girl. "I know that money means nothing to you, but just the same… your punishment is a simple suspension for defying your orders, which cost you your ship and nearly your life. Those Arwings aren't exactly in our budget right now… we're losing a war and these prototypes are expensive, young lady. Don't worry, though. I won't restrict you to the base."

"I appreciate that," she said in a soft tone. "Anything else, Sir?"

"No. I expect a full report on my desk, soon. Turn it in to your superior officer, Phoenix." Pepper turned back to the rest of StarFox and said, "Good work, today. You've proven that you can handle the Arwings and use them effectively. You can return to Papetoon in three days, if you like. I don't expect for Corneria to be Venom-Free by then, but… after what I saw today, I wouldn't be surprised by it, either."

"Thanks." Fox turned to Fara and canted his head towards the door. "Let's go and talk somewhere private. I have some things on my mind I'd like to discuss with you." He glanced over his shoulder at Peppy and the gang then said, "You guys, go get some lunch of something. We'll catch up later."

"Ya' don't have to tell _me_ twice," replied Falco, who snatched Peppy and Slippy by their wrists. "C'mon, you two. Let's go eat something and have a drink. I'm tired of Papetoon scraps and we've actually got some money in our pockets for once. Let's go!" Pepper left; Falco, Peppy and Slippy left.

Fox turned to Fara and offered her an awkward smile. "I'm sorry he grounded you; I know what that can mean to a pilot. You want to go and grab a bite or something?"

"Sounds good." Fara leaned forward and brushed her lips against the white veneer of fur that covered his cheek. "Thanks for telling me to eject. I always come to my own rescue but… the last two days were beyond my control. I hate feeling helpless."

Fox offered a weak smile, somewhat leaning his cheek into her lips and moist nose. He silently scolded himself for entertaining the idea of asking her for financial help to secure Arwings for his team. He didn't want to ruin his new friendship with someone who was actually more than some rich girl. She was a pilot; he saw her moves before they came up on that Battle Attack Carrier. She flew with Falco's attitude in the sky and had Slippy's humbleness when owning up to an error in debriefing. She possessed a wisdom that was more akin to Peppy than any other nineteen year old around. And yet she had the financial freedom to buy her own private armada if she truly wanted to do so.

"You look like you have something on your mind, Fox." Fara cocked her left ear and smiled at the pilot standing before her. "_Is_ there something on your mind, flyboy?"

"I'm just weighing my options carefully." Fox stuffed his paws into his jacket pockets and nodded towards the exit. "C'mon; I'll tell you all about my dreadnaught and how we're going to use it to flatten Venom." He had no intent to blather on about himself; he really wanted to get her away from the base so he could learn more about her. It wasn't every day he got to sit down and talk to a ridiculously attractive vixen that seemed to share his favorite pastimes.

"Well, first off, where is John putting you guys?"

Fox blinked at her. "You're on a first name basis with the General?"

"Only when I'm off duty," she replied. "My testimony put him in charge; we have a quiet friendship but put business and duty first. Most people would call it a strange sort of acquaintance but… He's sort of like an Uncle to me now, you know?"

Fox grinned, coming up besides her. He placed his hand against her mid back. "Rich father, a foster-uncle for a General; boy you have all the right connections, don't you?" McCloud swept his free paw outwards towards the exit. "To answer your question, he has us sharing a bunkhouse with a group of cadets. After you, Miss Fara Phoenix."

"Why thank you, Mister Fox McCloud," she returned, following his guiding paw. "It's nice to see that some semblance of chivalry isn't dead yet. Listen, I would like you to stay at my place tonight."

"Pardon?" Fox paused, stepping back a bit to look her over. "I wouldn't want to be forward, I mean… you know."

Fara grinned and shook her head. She reached for his forearm and led him towards the door. "I have a comfortable sofa-bed in the living room. I have a small rancher on base and we can talk about Arwings; I'll fill you in on all the things I neglected to teach you about while we were in the air today. Think of it as doing business in luxury… at least when you compare a leather sofa with a pullout bed next to a cot in a large room with thirty-five snoring men."

"You've sold me – no need to explain further. I'll grab my duffle." He grew silent at the feeling of her soft padded finger against his lips. She smiled in reply to his words then gave a tug at his wrist. The vixen led him to the door and pushed it open where they were greeted with a glaring orange sky, facing westward. The sun began to sink into the hills with practiced bravado. She reached her paw to his chin and redirected his gaze back on her.

"C'mon. I'll give you the tour of Pilot Country." She tugged on his wrist again, pulling him through the steel doorframe and motioned to where a shiny red convertible sat in the parking lot. She saw his eyes widen ever so slightly and it caused her to grin all the wider. Fara shoved a set of keys into his paw and moved around to the passenger side. "It's easier for me to chit-chat if _you_'re the one driving. You know you want to, anyway."

"Are you kidding? You drive this?" Fox's delighted expression brought Fara to a muffled giggle. She adjusted the passenger seat and slid down into the posh suede. She motioned for him to join her and he did without wasting another moment. Once in the driver seat, he told her, "I feel wooed and seduced by your wily vixen charms."

"Damn, I'm pretty good huh? And here I didn't even offer to invest four privately modified Arwings to your team's cause yet. I must be better than I thought." She cut her gaze over to McCloud whose jaw began to drop. She reached over and cradled his chin in her velveteen padded palm, guiding his mouth shut. "That's a conversation for the future. My only condition is that you have to stay and help Pepper. I know you want to return to Papetoon and your dreadnaught but we need you here. You can fly; these prototype fighters need you to pilot them. New Arwings take time to build… time that is counterproductive. So if you stay a little longer, I might be willing to work out a deal, depending on a few things."

Fox put the car into gear, easing in on the clutch at the same time. He eased off the clutch peddle while adding a delicate touch of the accelerator and the car moved forward smoothly. "Like what kind of things?"

"Nice; everyone else I know – including daddy – has stalled this car on their first try. I only offer the clutch-touch test if I really feel the guy is worth learning about. If he can't handle my car, I usually doubt if he can handle me." Fara dropped her paw to his knee and patted it softly. "She takes a very fragile touch, too much gas and she lurches forward and stalls. Not enough and she conks right out. So, you get bonus points; I guess that means I can answer your question." Fara's wry grin caused Fox to offer one of his own.

She cleared her throat, leaned back in her seat and paused for a moment. "Where to begin; all right, it's like this… Do you remember Fay? You rescued her on Papetoon."

"Sure I do," said Fox with a firm nod. They passed a sign that read, "Pilot Country Crossing" and led into a residential neighborhood for people who lived on base. "She stayed with us for a few days and helped us strike at Venom's military-owned 'merchant shipping lanes'."

Fara chuckled inwardly and said, "Yeah, a bunch of pirates going after government-backed pirates. How ironic is that?" She lifted her paw from his knee and pointed at a duplex house on the corner. "I live in the standalone behind _that_ house. It's cozy and helps me forget that I'm daddy's rich-girl for a little while." She folded her paws in her lap and continued. "Anyhow, Fay mentioned you. She said you'd be perfect for me… how rich is that? Now, I'm letting you in on classified privy- girl talk, here. So you didn't hear any of this."

Fox glanced over at the outline of a small house behind the duplex, squinting in the light of the evening streetlamps. "I shall endeavor to resist talking, even if it comes to torture."

"Good idea, because _this_ fennec will disavow any and all knowledge of your existence so as not to compromise the other secret agents in the field." To some level, the playful wit of her words caused McCloud to grin. She saw his relaxed smile and, to some degree, melted inside. "Basically, I think I'm trying to compensate for my initial thoughts of Fox McCloud. Fay described you as a dashing rogue and Pepper described you as a mangy outlaw who had the raw talent necessary to tame the Arwing. Needless to say they were both right in their own way but both made you seem very two dimensional."

Fox held out his right paw, palm up, and said, "So if I prove myself to be a standup guy and help Pepper in his time of need, you'll… what?"

"I don't know," she admitted in an almost sour voice. She cleared her throat and added, "Maybe I'll see your honor as some sort of collateral for this proposed investment. Part of you wanted to ask me _any_how, right?"

"Is this a test?" Fox lowered his right paw to the shifter, eased in on the clutch and shifted into second.

"No. I understand that someone in your situation would at least weigh all the possibilities and look at all his options to figure out how he could get his team the equipment necessary to do the job right. You guys need Arwings and helping Pepper out shows integrity. That, right there, would be the test. But if you're a bad kisser, the deal is off."

Fox blinked; his eyes dilated. "…Pardon?"

Fara reached her left paw out and touched his face. She used her thumb to brush his fur apart and grinned at the crimson hue of his skin beneath. "Fay is quite a perceptive girl. She was right, just mentioning something like that gets you all bent out of sorts. You _have_ kissed a girl, right?"

"Well, yeah. I dated a girl for a short time, back in school. We just never went any further because I put work first and she put her life first. But yeah – a couple of times."

"Relax, I'm very hard to get." Fara grinned again then patted his cheek. "She likes you."

Fox blinked, cutting his eyes to Fara. "Who, Fay? I mean, no offense to her, but she's just not my type. You know?"

"The car, silly."

Fox blushed again beneath the veneer of his fur. Some part of him seemed to melt in his chest, hearing the way she said the word, 'silly.' It was hot, cute and such a feminine thing for her to say. He continued through the base, getting a feel for the design of the road layout. After a moment he said, "If it wasn't for your money, your fancy car and your high-ranking career, I'd totally date you."

Fara burst into silvery peels of delighted laughter. "Is that so? Well, if you weren't a mangy outlaw rogue, dashing but dangerous, I would totally date you, too. Make a left up here; we'll circle back around towards 'D' Street. And remember, you're staying on the sofa tonight."

Fox grinned at her reply and cut the wheel at the next intersection. "Perfect. You lose the cash, give me your car and quit the military. I'll get a trim, a bath and take some classes in night school and we'll elope on the endless beach of Titania."

"Oh, you charmer; take the desert-fox back to the home of her ancestors. How romantic, Fox McCloud. We can walk the endless beach together then, when you're ready for a swim, we'll just head over to Aquas." She leaned back in her seat again, amused to no end.

"Perfect!" Fox chuckled softly, making another left and heading down D Street. He crossed over Cedar Avenue at a leisurely pace. "But the reception should be in the ballroom of a Phoenix Starliner but we'll be the only ones invited."

She tilted her head at him. "Why, are you a dancer or something?"

"No, that's why I wouldn't invite anyone else. I don't want anyone to see me dance; I'm awful." Fox's upper lip curled up, displaying a Cheshire grin.

"Aren't you a charmer," she said, erupting into laughter again. "Just remember, a man who can dance is making a statement to all the women around him."

"It tells her that he's effeminate?"

Fara mock gasped, pretending to gawk at him. "No! It tells her that he's cultured and sophisticated!"

"Well I'd better take a bath first! Sophisticated gentlemen aren't mangy, after all. And I'm not _just_ mangy, I'm apparently an outlaw too."

"But dashing," she added, patting his shoulder. She lifted her paw and pointed to a house on the corner. "Right there. Don't block the mailbox, Fox." She settled back in her seat again, sitting up straight in a prime-and-proper pose.

McCloud put the car into reverse, pulled the handbrake and cut the wheel. He turned off the headlights and slid out of the car then walked around to the other side and opened the door for her. "Shall I carry you in?"

"Oh, no, you're still to mangy and I haven't quit my job, so carrying me across the foyer won't be necessary." She cut him a grin then winked for good measure. She stepped out of the car and let Fox shut the door behind her. She scouted the curb for puddles but didn't see any. A secret little smile tugged at the corner of her muzzle. '_I'll get him on that another time,_' she thought to herself. "C'mon, Fox. Don't worry about contacting the guys. I'll make a phone call and, as far as they're concerned, you're attending a Wing Commander study-session… I hope you know how to cram for an exam."

"I hate tests," Fox retorted. "I'm good at exams but I just don't like the thought of someone judging me based on what a piece of paper tells them."

"Fair enough." She unlocked the door and held it open for her guest. "Make yourself at home, Fox McCloud. Just remember, you sleep in the living room, flyboy." She patted his shoulder then leaned up and kissed the side of his face again. "We'll start in the morning. There're towels in the linen closet and fresh sheets folded in the ottoman be the sofa. You'll have to move the coffee table to pull out the sofa-bed mattress. I've had a rather exhausting day," she told him, heading into the kitchen.

The vixen retrieved a porcelain mug and poured a glass of something resembling milk. She carried it to a microwave and put it in for a half minute. She glanced over her shoulder and said, "An old family recipe for sleep. I don't have to fly tomorrow, so it's all right." She wore a lopsided grin. "Liquor and warm cream." Once the microwave beeped, she removed the mug and carried it through the living room to her bedroom. She stopped in the doorway, glanced over her shoulder and said, "Don't get any ideas. I don't kiss on the first date."

"How about the second?" Fox began removing plush leather cushions from the sofa. "Or is that against policy, too?"

Phoenix took a sip of the warm, creamy sleep remedy. "The second date is under 'maybe' status. It depends, you know? And then only a 'goodnight kiss' at the door is considered acceptable. The third date is where we women will size you up and make a decision on whether or not she should pucker up for ya'. Goodnight, Fox McCloud."

"Go easy on me; I've never had the pleasure of going on a first date with an actual _lady_. So any talk of the third date might make me nervous, y'know?" He grinned and began to push the coffee table away from the sofa. "Sleep well."

She lifted the porcelain mug suggestively and smiled. "I will." Without a further word, she slipped into her bedroom and shut the door. A beam of light filled the small space between the bottom of the door and the carpeted floor. After a moment, she reopened the door, clad in a silk nightgown. She tossed her clothes out into a basket near the bathroom door. "And remember… No funny stuff, Mister. I sleep with a gun under my pillow."

"But isn't that uncomfortable?" asked Fox, trying to look as innocent as possible. "I thought a real lady could never sleep on a mattress that had a single pea placed on the box spring?"

Fara grinned with the tip of her tongue wedged between her front teeth. "Cute, but the fairy tale princess you're thinking of slept atop _one hundred_ mattresses, with a pea beneath the bottom one. And believe me, Fox, I don't keep any peas beneath my mattress, just a blaster under the pillow. It's a nice one, too. Low-recoil magnum caliber with a personalized balance and calibrated sights. I could hit a flea on your nose from seventy-five yards."

"Marry me?" Fox couldn't help but ask the question, even if it was in jest. "And as far as a flea on my nose… Hopefully I'll take care of those 'mangy' pests when I bathe in your bathroom, you know? And I have _pirate fleas_, the worst kind. If you shoot at them, they might shoot back, so don't miss."

Fara smiled again. "You're cute." She retired back into her room and shut the door. After another minute, the light seen beneath her door went dark. Fox sunk into the cushion-less sofa for a moment, just grinning to himself.

"Okay, I'm in love. Be smart, stay smooth, McCloud. You can handle this." He sighed, leaning back into the posh backrest, still seated on top of the collapsed mattress beneath his rump. He sighed with a smile then thought aloud, "I wonder if she'll remember to make that phone call."

"I already did," came a muffled reply from her bedroom. "I suppose I should have mentioned that this house is an acoustic nightmare."

Fox cupped his paws over his muzzle, wondering just how much she had heard of his audible thoughts. His eyes shifted over to the kitchen, wondering just how well the 'family recipe' would work for him; he wasn't looking forward to having a long night ahead and, finally, opted to try it.

* * *

**"Are you Colonel Bowman?" **The marmoset held up a small package, standing in the doorway. The neatly ironed creases of his courier uniform and perfectly seated hat gave him a professional appearance. 

"That's me," said Andrea Bowman. "A little late, don't you think? It's almost… what?"

The courier offered a lopsided smile. "It's just about ten, ma'am. Oh… sorry, military time; ah, twenty-two hundred hours, Colonel. Sorry it's so late, it was a rush delivery. My orders were very specific in making sure that you receive it as soon as it came through our warehouse. It's from your Aunt…" He paused to look down at the box then said, "Caroline."

She took the package from the marmoset, offering a polite smile then placed the package beneath her left arm while reaching out to sign his electronic signature pad with her right hand. "It's so good to see that some simian primates are still active Cornerians, holding a job and working hard." She scrawled her last name then announced, "Bowman, with an _'A_'," and handed the electronic clipboard back to the delivery boy.

The marmoset offered her a pleasant smile and courteous nod. He cleared his throat, saying, "Yes, quite so. Thank you, Mrs. Bowman; it's equally good to, ah, see that we still have primates who serve in the Cornerian armed forces." He bowed out of the door frame and shut the door behind himself. He then turned away and headed down the front walk, back to his delivery van. He drove out to the main gates in silence. At the gatehouse, he flashed his ID badge, signed a release sheet and pulled out onto the main highway.

The cebidae flipped open a communicator, keeping his other hand on the wheel and used his thumb to operate the speed dialer. After a moment, a feminine voice came over the other line, simply telling him to speak. Her cleared his throat again. "Yes, Miss Caroline, I delivered the package. She was an idiot; she even called me a Simian Primate. _Everyone_ knows that the marmoset is part of the _pro_simian line."

Over the cellular communicator, Caroline Oikonny simply groaned. "You are wrong; _she_ was right. Simians have larger brains and are smarter than… you know what? I think _you_ are right… not about marmosets in general, but about yourself. Anyhow, did she open it?"

"N… wait." He blinked twice, casting his glance at the communicator, feeling insulted.

"Did she or not?" Caroline's voice grew firm and intolerable.

"Not in front of my eyes," he snapped in reply.

A sigh came over the phone, sounding distorted from the proximity of her breath to the microphone. She then added, "Very well, then. I suppose that will have to be good enough. Would you like me to electronically forward your payment-for-services-rendered now?"

"Fire away," said the marmoset. The back of the van lifted into the air. He glanced up in time to see the pavement pass in front of his windshield. His mind barely had time to register the sudden rush of heat that singed the back of his neck before the secondary explosion's concussive force ejected the upper half of his seat through the front window. His face careened into the safety glass but the lap-belt held his lower body securely into the bench seat. The backrest of the chair continued forward, tearing the courier's body into two at the waist.

His surprised expression lasted for less than three seconds before the third and final explosion roared over his body. The intense heat instantly burned away the flesh and fur from his skeleton. The intensity of the concussive force ripped him asunder, leaving but fragments of his remains. A gold tooth, set firmly in his jaw, melted from the incredible temperature. The final stage of the low-yield warhead blast-cap exploded with a sense of finality, scattering the lifeless particles to the wind. The shockwave faded to a blast of hot air beyond a mile from ground zero.

Seconds later the remains floated down from the sky which coated the singed clay ground in a fine layer of dust and ash. The fresh crater extended down beneath the paved road by no less than three feet. Tiny metallic fragments, small chunks from the cast-iron block engine, rained down from above.

* * *

**Fara Phoenix opened the front door, still wearing her nightgown**. Her facial expression went from groggy to semi-boisterous upon seeing Miyu standing on the front walk. "Hey! C'mon in, hon! What brings you by?" She opened the door wider and used her free paw to sweep back the excess fabric of her nightie. 

The lynx stepped in through the door with a duffle bag in her right paw. She tossed it in the corner and glanced about. A tag on the handle had the name 'Fox McCloud' stenciled in bold lettering. "It could be a mistake; my orders were to come to _this_ address and escort some _guy_ to see General Pepper." She turned back to Fara and then grinned. "I heard you got grounded for your stunt to help Fay because she was stuck in Westtown. She feels really guilty that she let you get involved; now I stay an M.P. a little longer and… well, I'm just glad you're all right. But that's not even the _big_ news."

Fara tilted her head and then waved for Miyu to follow. The fennec shut the front door then led her friend through the living room, down the hall and to the bedroom. She opened the door and gestured for the feline to enter first then shut the door behind herself, so they could talk without waking Fox.

"Was that… a _man_ on your living room sofa?"

The vixen offered a sly grin. "It was."

"Okay _that_ is big news," Miyu admitted. "But this may just take the cake sweetheart. Part of the base is on _quarantine_ status for some… classified reason. I don't even know; also there was a massive explosion a few miles down the road from the main gates. No one is sure if the two incidents are related yet but," she trailed off then flopped down on the bed, adjusting the sidearm on her hip. The attractive lynx looked good in her uniform but the way she kept picking at it one could easily deduce that she hated to wear it. "Central dispatch mentioned that the victim was a 'priority person'. I'm not sure what that means; Pepper is okay, _you're_ fine – obviously – and those mercenary boys down on the barracks are all okay."

"Well that's a relief at least," said Fara with a frown. "And if you've talked to Fay then you already know who's here."

Miyu grinned, seeing that Fara didn't buy the 'play dumb' routine. "So is he cute?"

"At the risk of sounding horribly snobbish, I wouldn't have housed him if he wasn't absolutely _adorable_." Fara paused. "I digress… You're here to collect him?"

The feline offered a nod then frowned. "Pepper said it was his choice, however. He has the option to stay here for the remainder of the night. My orders include briefing him that there has been a situation then offering to let him stay in the bunker beneath the base. I stopped by the barracks first but those chowder heads wanted to stay put. I have a feeling this one will be the same."

"I hate to wake him," said Fara with a soft sigh. "He has a sortie to fly tomorrow and he's sleeping like a baby."

Miyu tilted her head. "Isn't that contradictory? You have to feed a baby in the middle of the night and change them when they wake up screaming at four in the morning. I mean – you know."

Phoenix shrugged. "It's better than saying he's 'out like a light' being that lights are…" She paused with a grin, watching the lynx surrender by throwing her feline paws into the air. Fara watched her friend recoil into the defensive posture and laughed as if in pitty. "Okay, I'll wake him."

"Are you going to use your," Miyu licked her lips, leaned forward and in a sultry tone added, "_Sexy_ voice?" She waggled her brows in a playful mood. "Whisper your hot _sexy_ breath into his ear? Lean in nice and close, nibble on his neck," she continued as if building towards some sort of climatic moment, joke or otherwise. "Then, _suddenly_… Pow! Stick your cold, wet nose right in his … I don't know – somewhere uncomfortable like his eye or something." She grinned again.

"You're too much," replied Fara in a relaxed tone, a sharp contrast from the higher pitched voice of the feline.

"That I am," replied the MP looking proud. She stood up from the bed and reached for her standard issue handcuffs. "Hey, wanna' play a joke on him? I'll put these cuffs on him, you get some newspaper and roll it up, then we can…"

"No!" Fara blurted out, immediately covering her mouth with her paws from the outburst. She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper and hissed, "Forget it; I'm not playing any jokes on him after only one night of knowing him. That sort of stuff takes time and trust, you know?"

"Oh, you're bad Fara. Let him trust you and think he's safe around you then when he least expects it, _wham_!"

The vixen shook her head. "No, no. You wait until he's comfortable and in agreement to any and all relationship quirks before you …wait, are we even talking about the same thing?"

Miyu blinked. She folded her arms beneath her bust and tilted her head. The sleek arrow-like fur design on her forehead seemed to shorten with the way she furrowed her brows. "Cuffing his paws to the sofa bed then whipping him with a newspaper?"

"Oh." Fara paused, smiled weakly and lightened her expression as if attempting to force a halo to appear above her brow. "So _that's_ what the paper was for. Still, I wouldn't do that, either."

"And what were _you_ going to use the handcuffs for?" The lynx tapped her foot with mock impatience. She kept her arms folded and leaned forward to inspect the fennec who still sat upon the bed.

"…Nothing." Fara offered her cutest and most pleasant smile. Without a word, the fennec's expressive sort of grin broadened. '_Maybe force him to agree to marriage or something,_' she thoughtHer head tilted and her left ear flickered. Fara's grin became almost devious looking, thinking further on the subject matter – not necessarily in a serious light but certainly mirroring Miyu's playful mood.

The feline narrowed a single eye the way one might look down the barrel of a rifle then shook her head. "Your halo is sitting crooked on your horns." A grin began to take shape, spreading across her muzzle. "You kissed him on the first date, didn't you?"

Phoenix's gaze went dull, half glaring with a sarcastic sort of expression. Miyu held her paws up again, "Okay, okay. …But soon, though, right?"

"Maybe." Fara froze then held her paws out, palms down, flitting her fingers upwards in a dismissive way, "Shoo, go tell Pepper he declined to move. Shoo!"

The military cop drew out her next word slowly, "_Holy_ crap… you're going to make him breakfast. Good Goddess, Phoenix. You're going to cook for him, aren't you?"

Fara's voice returned to a soft hiss. "Will you keep it down?" Her eyes lifted, watching Miyu back towards the door with a goofy look. "Are you holding back laughter, Miyu?" She scrutinized the normally aristocratic-looking feline then slid off of her bed, approaching her friend with an almost cautious sort of air. "You're not going to bolt out into the living room shouting at the top of your lungs like you did when Fay stayed here last month… are you?"

"Oh, okay," she said, gesturing with her hands for the fennec to relax. Without warning, her radio made a chirping noise, ushering both women to silence. Miyu unclipped a microphone from her shoulder and spoke into it. "This is Lynx, go ahead Command."

A tired masculine voice came over the line. "What's the Ten-Twenty of the Mercenary Pilot?"

"He's staying on D Street, Central. He's… sleeping like a _baby_. Over." She cut her eyes to Fara and grinned.

The radio fizzled then chirped again. The dispatcher cleared his throat and said, "Okay. You've got new orders. We need you to hold your position until further notice. It seems this quarantine matter is serious; they're calling it a terrorist attack on a ranking female officer. The name and motive are currently classified but because there are _two_ priority targets at your current location, your orders are to stay there and guard them. Report _anything_… if there are any suspect vehicles that sit within sight of that location, report the plates and advise them to move along. We're at code _black_, elevated status. We're also posting guards at the barracks. Don't leave D Street until you receive further orders." The previously playful looks faded from each woman's face, listening to the radio operator on the other end.

Miyu scrunched her nose, pulling a small handbook from her pants pocket. She began flipping through to find the color code chart. "You know I've worked a thirteen hour shift today, right dispatch?"

"Those are your _orders_, soldier. I don't care if you _sleep_ there. You'll stay at your post so that you can report _anything_ out of the ordinary. Expect to be at your post for up to thirty-six hours. There won't _be_ a shift-change, because _all_ available MP's are on duty tonight. We've called in _everyone_. The only guards who get to be shifted are the ones at the main gates because they have day-shift duty at sun-up and there are no provisions at the gatehouse."

Miyu didn't want to seem argumentative but she felt that pushing the tiger on the other line might get him to offer more information. "Wow, must be important for you guys to break procedure for shift change."

"I'm stuck at the radio because most of the staff has been ordered as extra security detail for the brass. The high ranking officers are on lockdown, in the bunker. Maybe you didn't understand me when I said the base was _attacked_ and that sector three is under _quarantine_ status. Why do you like pushing my buttons, Lynx? I'm tired too so just do what you have to do and stay there until we call for you to escort the Mercenary to the Hanger. His sortie has been rescheduled because the base is on _lockdown_." He repeated the last word with a cynical tone just to be rude. "Also, at zero-seven-hundred hours, I'll be moving to the front counter and Barnes will be taking over the radio. Do _not_ run your patrol route tonight. Stay in or near your current position and _do not_ mention names of who you're guarding over the radio."

Miyu trailed her thumb down the listing of codes in the book and stopped at 'black' status. Her eyes widened, taking a moment to memorize the passage then she turned the book about to Fara and tapped her claw on the words. She then spoke into her radio one more time, returning the sarcastic tone. "I'm going to go and dig a trench out in the front lawn to better fortify my position. Lynx – out." She turned her gaze back to Phoenix who seemed to look rather pale, still gawking at the handbook. The uniformed cop offered a sigh then recited from the guide, "'Code Black: Military Medical Emergency code for mass casualties, as from an epidemic or other public health threat.' We're not even supposed to go outdoors. You got enough food for three people to stay indoors for up to three days?"

"I do," said Fara in a quiet voice. "You think someone was attacked with a chemical agent or something? Biological warfare is breaking convention code. I mean… you quarantine for germ threats like a deadly virus or something, you know?"

Miyu nodded, her eyes void of the glimmer of playfulness from earlier. "We'll get though this. I'm glad it's me they sent over here. Are you sure you two don't want to stay in the bunker?"

Fara shook her head. "I'd rather not be where all the 'high ranking targets' are gathered. I know it's secure but standing next to the largest bull's-eye on Corneria wouldn't make me feel any safer. I hope they're not trying to assassinate John… he's a good General."

"Uh, Fara," Miyu sat back down on the mattress. "John Pepper suspended you from the sky today, remember?"

"Do you _blame_ him?" Phoenix tilted her head, half-leering at her friend. "I endangered the lives of four untested pilots who aren't even members of the military. I jeopardized four prototype fighters… and thank the Goddess that black Arwing was mine… I mean, if I cost the Military a vehicle because of insubordination… boy, that would be even worse. It's going to be a few weeks before five more can be built and shipped."

"Five more?" Miyu blinked. "One for you, who are the other four for?"

"Don't worry about it," Fara replied with a shrug. "Yours and Fay's are on backorder. Part shipments have been slow from the attacks. Daddy said that Corneria even asked for five of his transport cruisers to be outfitted with weapons, since ship building has been slower than normal. Right now, the only Arwings in existence are the four in use by team StarFox. I hope they know what they're doing because there won't be any replacements for quite some time."

"All right, listen," Miyu stood back up and walked to the bedroom door. "I'm going to check your windows and make sure your front door is locked. I might be here for a few days, so we'll have to figure out sleeping arrangements. Is there somewhere else Fox can stay in this house? It would be best if I stay in the living room because I'll be the closest to the front door and windows, just in case."

"We'll figure it out later. If worst comes to worst," Fara said, hooking a thumb over her shoulder at her large mattress. "I have a king-size. He can stay on his side; I can stay on mine. We'll figure something out. For tonight, just so we don't have to wake him, why don't you stay on an air mattress in front of the door or …something?"

Miyu cocked her brows again. "Why are you worried about waking him up? He doesn't have to get up early for a sortie anymore, remember? You heard the dispatcher. All non-essential flight schedules have been changed. Only combat patrol teams are going to be flying right now. Are you worried that he'll get the wrong idea if you share a bed or something? A real man would be the one to offer to stay on the air mattress on your bedroom floor, or even in the dining room. Or even your little… tiled… kitchenette thing."

"…I suppose I _could_ wake him and see what he wants to do. He's been a perfect gentleman so far."

"Like Josh?" Miyu asked with a wry grin.

"Ya'know, I think we only had to shoot Josh because he was so _boring_." Fara replied with the weak grin. "And then he became a huge jerk. Seriously, though… I don't think we'll have any trouble with this guy," she said, nodding her head towards the wall, in the direction of the living room. "And besides, there will be two women here, one of which is an armed guard. I doubt he'll even breathe wrong."

The feline nodded then turned the bedroom doorknob. She glanced back at Fara and offered a slight smile, feeling appreciated for being present. "Yeah, I guess. You should go wake him up. I've got to check your windows and the door. I'm going to go out to the work truck and get some stuff. I'll be back in a minute."

Phoenix frowned. "I'll think about it."

* * *

**McCloud sat up in the dark**. He rubbed his face in his palm then glanced about the quiet house. Sliding off the bed, the vulpine stumbled across the carpet in silence. He wrapped his paw around a knob and opened the door. Face to face with folded bath towels, he shut the door and murmured, "Not the bathroom." He continued further down the hall and opened another door, now standing in front of a washing machine and dryer. The room appeared to be spotless for a laundry room; Fara's leotard and sweatpants were folded neatly in a basket of assorted clothes that sat atop the dryer. Fox muttered again, "Where is it…?" and continued his search. 

The next doorknob he came to was Fara's bedroom. The door offered some measure of resistance due in part to a half-inflated mattress on the floor. A broken hand pump sat in pieces by the wall. He shifted his eyes to the king mattress at the other end of the room and squinted his eyes in the dim illumination. His sharp night vision raked over the feminine outline of two females in the large bed, separated by a full-length body pillow. Each female had snuggled up to either side of the six foot cushion; he couldn't help but grin inwardly.

'_Being a pillow must be nice_,' he thought but, instead, said, "Maybe I'm just _dreaming_ that I'm looking for the bathroom…" He backed out of the room, turned the handle and pulled the door shut then released the brass knob so as to remain silent. McCloud moved to the next door which consisted of a hallway closet. Coats and a uniform blazer rested on metal hooks. He shook his head and continued aloud, "…this house simply has no bathroom." Fox went to the front door, unlocked the dead bolt and stepped out into the warm summer air.

He glanced about furtively, staying alert. Fox used his thumb to flip down the front of his sweatpants, looked around a second time then peed in the grass. Silence. His eyes shifted again, just to make sure no one would see him doing such an act in the middle of the night. Once finished, he flipped the fabric back up then froze. His right ear flickered, hearing the fast approach of a hover bike. Red and blue emergency lights illuminated the entire block with a strobe effect; seconds later a guard zipped down the road, heading back towards the base. The flashing lights disappeared in the distance. "…What the hell was that about?"

"Trouble." The feminine reply caused Fox's fur to fluff up, frazzled from being startled. He whirled around, staring at a rather tall leopard. On second glance, after noticing her bobbed ears, he decided she was a lynx instead. She offered a tired smile. "Didn't mean to startle you; I was quiet so I wouldn't wake Fara."

"You're quiet all right," Fox muttered, looking over the woman in the doorway.

"Shh," Miyu reached out and placed her index finger on Fox's lips. "Maybe you didn't notice those large fennec ears but it won't take much to wake her if you don't keep it down." She withdrew her finger, patted the side of McCloud's muzzle then introduced herself by name.

"Fox McCloud," he replied with a slow nod. "So why are you here?"

She offered a lopsided grin then said, "I'm your body guard. You can't leave this house until they determine if the rest of the base is safe. We were attacked earlier tonight."

Fox's eyes widened. "Why did I not know?"

She lifted her paws to hush him, gesturing him to keep his voice down. "It was a silent attack. No guns, no explosives. Apparently someone in Sector Three was their target. Just calm down, finish shaking your thing and get your tail back inside and don't open the door anymore. No offence, but that's an order."

Fox balked. "You… saw me?"

By the way, your personal effects are on the floor in the corner. New sweat pants, huh?"

Fox blinked at her in confusion and she pointed to the clear sticker on his left leg which told his waist and leg length. Fox pulled the sticker off and balled it up in his paw. "Yeah, we picked them up at the AAFES 'PX'. I didn't realize that the Post Exchange would actually put stickers on the leg. Anyhow, did you… you know, see me?"

"Hardly, but why else would you be out here with an open-footed stance at four in the morning? She smirked then added, "You really _do_ sleep like a baby, huh?" She then hooked a thumb over her shoulder, motioning for him to come inside. "Let's go; don't make me use the 'cuffs."

Fox gave a light tug at the fabric of his sweatpants then pushed past the lynx to head back inside. "Screw that," he muttered under his breath.

"You're no fun," she added with a roll of her eyes. "And for your future information, the bathroom is cattycorner between the linen closet and the corner of the hallway. You just didn't see it in the dark because the door is the same color as the wall, where the other doors are white with brass knobs. I don't know why guys always think they have to go peeing on things; this is Fara's territory anyhow."

Fox afforded her with a cocked brow and looked at the woman as though she were strange. He shook his head, crawled back into the sofa bed mattress then pulled the covers up over his head and waited for her to leave him be. "Let's talk another time… like you said, we're liable to wake her up. Goodnight."

"Yeah, yeah." Miyu glanced around for newspaper but didn't see any located in the living room. She shrugged off what seemed like an amusing idea and said, "I should be out here incase something happens but _she_ didn't want to wake you up. And here ya are, out here writing your name in the grass or something. Good grief." She made her way back to the bedroom, opened the door then glanced over her shoulder at the darkened shape of the living room sofa bed. "Sorry; you woke me when you were searching for the bathroom then I heard the front door hinges squeak. I don't mean to come off as sharp or bossy." She slipped through the door then shut it behind herself.

Silence resumed.

* * *

A/N: _Okay, so no huge fight scenes, no hot romance… nothing but intrigue__. If you have NO IDEA what that courier delivered to Andross' daughter, and if you have NO IDEA why Caroline Oikonny blew up the courier's van after he left… then you probably didn't read Chapter 2! Here's a hint… The Venom Plague – the very same that is killing Andrew's father. Dash Bowman would be immune because he's not yet entered puberty yet at this point in time. He's about to, but it just hasn't happened yet so… As to the fate of Andrea Bowman and her husband… Well I think we can all guess that poor Dash flies for Corneria when he gets older and blah, blah, blah. Ya see him in SF:Command and ya see him again in Reflections Of A New Generation! More to come, leading up to Fox's first sortie in the Arwings. Don't worry, they'll get GreatFox eventually! Fox also has a relationship to begin with Fara, __very soon. This will give them a few days to warm up to one another, though. See ya soon! _

_-K_


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: _I had a few ideas while toiling with this chapter. I decided that we needed more action for Fox and Fara because that's what I'm all about! However, I want to do a little something for Fay and Miyu for you guys, then go and give Fox and Fara some good romance scenes…So, in this chapter, we'll see action. In the next chapter, we'll see Fay and Miyu prove themselves as elite pilots which gets them into StarFox down the road (but they obviously don't stay by the time Falco leaves, leading up to the Sauria Mission). Also, Fox and Fara's relationship will start to evolve quickly in the next chapter and Fox will stick around a little longer and run a few missions for Corneria. There will be some good future GreatFox detail scenes but it won't happen right away, so just give me some time. Time to jump into the thick of it... here we go!_

_My first nearly chapter-length obligatory car chase action scene is about to happen  
__:D_

* * *

Chapter -10-  
"On Rails"

…_Half an hour before sunrise._

**Miyu picked up an ugly flannel shirt, inspecting the cloth**. She glanced back at Fara and tilted her head. "This doesn't look your style and it's certainly not mine. To whom does it belong?" She leaned in and gave a sniff at the fabric then scrunched her nose a bit.

"It belongs to Cindy," said Fara. "She was my old roommate until last month. She took an assignment on Fortuna and I hardly see her now."

"Military?"

Fara shook her head slowly. "Not exactly. It's hard to explain. She's a scientist who works _for_ the military. You wouldn't know she's smart by talking to her." The vixen tilted her head, watching Miyu's nose twitch after having sniffed at the shirt. "She's an ocelot. She was around when that whole thing went down with the Cornerian double agent, working for Venom."

"Josh," replied Miyu with a firm nod.

A nod was returned. "You remembered," said Phoenix with a soft voice. "You know, I'll always appreciate you running in there and stopping them. And now that we've met, I've got you flying a modified M-Class fighter with Fay Spaniel. It won't be much longer before you're in an Arwing, flying for me. I really look forward to having my own squadron."

"I'm patient. I'm satisfied staying on the MP detail for the moment." Miyu hooked a thumb over her shoulder at the locked bedroom door. "And what about McCloud? Don't get me wrong, he's an okay guy… I don't think he understands my sense of humor but, other than that, he seems alright. Are you thinking about dating him?"

"It's been _one_ full day," said Fara with a shrug. "Just like Cindy; everyone is so curious who the rich-girl is going to date. Just think, if he and I did start a relationship, the media would eat it up. They'd be asking him a hundred questions every time they spot us together. I don't want to put him through that. If we _do_ date, I'd rather keep it between us for a while. He'll know when he's ready to receive media attention. And just think, Miyu, if he _does_ successfully drive back Venom forces…" She paused then slumped back on her bed, ankles crossed. "…He'd become a local celebrity on his own merit. General Pepper was quite the local legend for about two or three weeks; people will make Fox their idol for a little while if he keeps flying the way he has so far."

Miyu grinned. Her ears flickered and her whiskers laid back along her muzzle with a grin spreading across her lips. "You mean the way he saved you, liberated the western sector _and_ shut down the Venom advance, while the rest of his team was off racking up a kill score… which makes him an aerial commando flyboy. The kind of stuff you read about, or watch movies about… The kind of stunts that make for good entertainment and turn into comics and video games, right?" The aristocratic feline shook her head and shrugged, gently rolling her shoulders forward. "He probably thinks I'm weird because I made a joke about using the handcuffs on him."

"You didn't!" Fara blinked at her friend, trying to hold back laughter. "What did he say?"

Lynx yawned softly, cutting her eyes to the clock. She looked to the dark window on the far side of the room then turned back to Fara, shifting her weight on the large mattress. The soft illumination of a nightlight gave Miyu's eyes a glassy green glow and she grinned yet again. "He ignored me and went back to bed. What happened was… he woke me up trying to look for the bathroom. I know you heard him with those huge ears of yours."

"Obviously, hon." Phoenix tilted her head forward. "I'm awake, aren't I?" She laid back on her pillow, propping her head with an arm. "So you had a few minutes to talk to him. That's actually the whole reason I sat up and started talking to you when you came back in here. What I mean to say is… Obviously I'm a poor judge of character to have gone on a few casual dates with a Venom Spy. So what do _you_ think of him?"

"First of all," Miyu crawled across the mattress to her own side. She rolled over and kicked her borrowed slippers to the floor then pulled the covers back over herself. "You didn't catch feelings for that creep because you subconsciously knew he was nothing special. So don't be so hard on yourself. If anything it was playing dress up for free outings. Second of all, Fox risked his life without backup to not only _help_ you, but to avenge the loss of your plane. He's got good intentions. I am a pretty good judge of character and he's the kind of guy that means well. If he wasn't so interested in you, I'd go get a drink with him. I have really high standards and, if you're asking me of _my_ opinion, well… he makes the cut."

"Do you think it would intimidate him to go on a few dinner dates with the daughter of Zerda Phoenix? That's my biggest hang up… finding guys who are comfortable around me."

Miyu licked her right paw then pushed her moistened fingertips between her ears to make her headfur lay a certain way. She shifted her weight to get comfortable on her pillow and wiggled down into the mattress. "Based on our conversation I've already formulated my opinion of him. Oh, he seems comfortable around you. I don't think it's an issue for him. He doesn't seem easily intimidated around anyone; I think it would be hard to imagine Fox being shy towards any one person for any one reason. If he were, there would have to be a _very_ good reason behind his discomfort. All in all, he seems like a highly adaptable and intelligent young man. …You're not still going to make breakfast for him, are you?"

"Should I not?" Fara leaned up on an elbow, peering over the lump of covers at her friend. "I had planned to, yes." She fidgeted for a moment, licked her lips then leaned up a bit more on her left elbow. She cut a sidelong glance at her friend and said, "Is it foolish of me to catch feelings so quickly? Do you think he'll feel awkward if I make him breakfast in bed?"

The lynx shut her eyes and, in her bubbly high-pitched voice, said, "If you ask me, you should sleep in. Let's call it a test, if you will. We'll stay in bed until noon to see what he'll do. Anyhow, goodnight Fara."

"Goodnight," replied the vixen, leaning back into her pillow with a sigh. She lay there for a while longer, waiting for sleep to reoccur.

* * *

_The next morning… _

**"Just tell my next patient to come on back, John**," said the dentist, removing his latex gloves. "And you _really_ need to cut back on the sweets." The cougar tossed his gloves into a plastic waste bin then approached the General and, in a more personal tone, added, "I understand it's how you control your glucose throughout the day, but they _do_ have glycemic alternatives. They make glucose tablets that are sort of like a wafer. I'm telling you, your teeth aren't doing well with this new candy diet."

The small office, converted into a private medical room, had a stool, a bed and a sink at the far end. Two military physicians began using the room to provide checkups on the brass locked up in the bunker together. General Pepper sighed softly and nodded to the dentist with a frown. "I'll do my best. I'll see who is next in line for you. Thanks doc, my pain is gone at least… I'll admit that was an embarrassing way to get a dental checkup."

"John, there's nothing embarrassing about having something wedged between two molars. But you are lucky I was around to get it out for you, or you wouldn't have known you were well on your way to three cavities." The dentist walked back to the counter and removed two fresh plastic gloves from a box. "Send in the next patient, General. And remember what I told you… no more lollypops."

"You said to cut back on sweets," Pepper retorted in an almost melancholy way.

The dentist, only a Major by comparison, offered his superior officer a stern look. "Cut back in sugary food all together. There are alternatives for your mid-day blood-sugar boost. However, you need to lose the sucker pops completely."

John Pepper, acting General of the Cornerian forces, couldn't scold the subordinate man due to the situation. He sighed again and nodded then walked through the door and out into the larger room. Once he was out of the doctor's sight, he removed a lollypop from his pocket and brought the wrapper up to his front teeth, ready to tear it open. His eyes stopped on the three men who waited outside of the medical office and he froze with a thoughtful frown. His big brown orbs panned over three saber-toothed rodents, rats to be exact, of varying ranks. They each looked miserable and had teeth that extended over their bottom lip in a menacing way.

Pepper glanced back at the door from which he'd just emerged then returned his eyes to the three bucktoothed rats waiting in line. "Goodness." He couldn't say much more. They each cradled their jaw at a different angle, looking to be in a foul mood. Pepper's lower lip tightened a bit. '_That dentist has some courage, knowing these guys are out here, waiting to see him.'_ His thoughts continued with, '_He's probably the bravest person on this base, as far as I'm concerned.'_ Pepper coughed into his paw to get their attention, deposited the unopened lollypop into his pocket then said, "Next patient, please." He walked past the three men, headed down the nearby hallway and out to the larger section of the bunker.

"General!" someone called out. John's eyes flitted about the room, looking for the source of the voice. A group of officers huddled around a radio looked up at him. One of them waved him over and said, "General Pepper, come and listen to this! There's been a huge attack on the base in the last hour, Sir!"

The hefty hound quickened his pace and approached the crowd of men. They parted for his presence, allowing him to get closer to the radio to hear. The announcer had a measure of panic in his voice. "…across the city! It seems they knew just when to strike! Again, for those just tuning in, the forces responsible for pinning down the Westtown sector a few days ago have now focused their attention on the Capital City military base! They've been met with little resistance so far and have stormed the gates and set fire to several buildings including the Post Exchange and several military businesses near the military residential sector!"

"Why didn't anyone call my attention to this? Why haven't our men up top reported this?" No one seemed to have an answer. "Dear Goddess," murmured Pepper. "With us down here in the bunker, most of their resistance has been against mere cadets with no formal leadership."

Chester placed a spotted feline paw on the General's shoulder and said, "Sir, we're safe here, General. The bunker is impenetrable. We need to start sending the surviving military down into the cave system beneath the bunker so that we can start planning out a resistance procedure. However, no one is allowed to go outside until our science team has finished working on stopping that virus."

Pepper frowned again. He glanced back to the radio for a moment then turned his attention back to the Lieutenant, the cheetah who had been in the control tower during the Arwing training exercise, yesterday. The brown-furred canine lifted his broad shoulders then dropped them with a sigh. "Sector Three is still on quarantine, but did word get out on that?"

Chester shook his head in reply. "It seems the public, including the media, still have no idea that part of the base was locked down. They only recently got word that we all headed underground. For all they know, we're hiding because of Venom's attack."

"Have upper enlisted members head down into the caves, beneath the bunker. Have a small group of Officers go down there and start briefing them on our backup plan for retaking the base. You'll find files in the library at the back detailing a special counter-offensive known as Omega, Whisky Tango Foxtrot. But no one moves until ordered to do so. I don't need for our forces to come down with this sickness and, who knows, it's quite possible that the invaders will get sick instead… then we only need to wait them out."

"Aye, Sir!" The Lieutenant turned to the assembled men and cupped his paws in front of his muzzle. He shouted to the group and started putting Pepper's orders into motion. Pepper stayed silent, leaning in to listen to the radio broadcast.

"May the Goddess help anyone still up top." Pepper sighed and settled down on the floor near the radio. He ran his fingers back through his hair in an attempt to remain calm.

* * *

_**A cerulean veneer covered her paw. Her fingertips trailed over his knuckles, **__drawing his attention up to her soft green eyes. Her other paw moved to his face, cupping the side of his jaw in her palm. She leaned forward like so many other times, but this time she simply brushed her lips against his nose. "Perhaps it's best that we …take a break from one another." Her voice sounded wonderful. Her elegant wording and angelic tone sent a shiver down his spine. _

_"Will I see you again?" _

_The woman smiled. The expressive gesture came with a sparkle in her eyes. She nodded in silence then leaned up to kiss his forehead. "Yes, if you're careful. But I'm afraid it won't happen if you don't wake up." _

_McCloud frowned, placing his right paw on the dream girl's hip. "Why? It seems as though we never get time together. And now you're telling me you want a break? I suppose it just doesn't seem very, you know… fair." _

_"Life isn't always fair, sweet one." She lowered her head into the crook of his neck then inhaled deeply of his scent. Fox shivered again. He couldn't help but shutter ever so slightly beneath her touch and the feel of her nose against his neck made his knees feel weak. Her voice, muffled against his neck, filled the air again. "If you don't open your eyes, I may never have the chance to see you again. For now, however, I think we should take a little break. I want you to explore your options, sweetheart__. You have one laid out before you as of right now. It could take you down a far different path and …possibly for the better. Regardless, I'm begging of you to open your eyes. I don't mean for this goodbye to happen so quickly but we have no choice in the matter. At least not right now. Please, open your eyes, Fox." _

_"But why?" Fox tilted his head, asking the question as if he were a smile child. "What happens if I don't? Call me selfish but I enjoy seeing you." _

_"Our lives depend on one simple action," said the blue-furred vixen. She cupped either side of his face, looked straight into his eyes and said, "One more thing; there will be a lot of distraction going on, but I'll give you a sign to help you. I want you to stay open-minded and watch for my sign." _

_"What should I look for?" he asked in a reverent sort of voice._

"_A shiny brass object should be all you need." She placed her paws on either side of his face, kissed him softly then spoke in an imploring tone. "Open your eyes, Fox. Wake up, please. Open your eyes and take a deep breath; it's an emergency. Wake up!" _

_

* * *

_

**Fox McCloud's eyes snapped open** and his nostrils flared. He inhaled deeply then blinked twice. "…Smoke?" He kicked the sheets off of his legs and ran to the front door. The morning sunlight cast a shadow over the front yard. Fox stood on the stoop, facing west, where a dark cloud of smoke billowed into the sky the next sector over. He rubbed his eyes with the backside of his paws then looked again.

"Why isn't anyone doing anything about this?" he demanded to the quiet military neighborhood. The otherwise serine atmosphere turned to an earsplitting noise which moved from right to left overhead. Fox ran down the walkway and turned around to see what just flew over the house. His eyes narrowed and his right paw lifted to block out the sunlight. His jaw became slack upon realization that a Venom Flea Class attack fighter continued by, heading south. His gaze widened in alarm at the sight of _more_ smoke billowing into the air, coming from beyond the roofline of Fara's home – the next sector over wasn't the only part of the base under attack. Fire roared out of control, reaching high above the rooftop of the two story duplex directly behind Fara's house. "…Crap!"

McCloud stood there in a moment of shock, wearing only sweat pants. The fur of his torso rustled with the strong gale that followed in the wake of the passing fighter. His tail flitted in annoyance and his ears lowered. He ran back into the house just as Fara came out of her bedroom door.

"What was that noise?" she asked, still half asleep. "It's only quarter till nine in the friggin' morning."

"We're under attack!" Fox shouted. "The house behind us is engulfed in flames; you only have enough time to grab things that are small and irreplaceable. We'll take your car to the barracks, get the guys and head to the hanger."

Miyu came from the bedroom, not yet looking awake enough to be panicked and said, "The most direct route to the main base is through Sector Three which is quarantined."

Fox snarled in reply. He snatched the duffle bag from the floor near the front door and slung it over his shoulder. "Then we'll have to go the long way." He pushed his feet into the boots that were near the sofa bed and said, "Simple clothes with long sleeves; no shorts. Both of you, hurry up."

Fara blinked and backed into her bedroom. Miyu turned to her, she reached up and rubbed the sleep from the vixen's eyes and said, "Shake it off, honey; we'll be okay. He wants us to wear sleeves and pants to protect our fur. But if we have to wade through any burning buildings, he doesn't want us wearing anything that will catch, either." She gave a tug at the frilly evening gown Fara wore and frowned. "Like this, for example. We'll split up. Listen, Fara, I'm going to take the marked cruiser and try to secure one of the anti-aircraft guns in Sector Four. You and Fox need to hurry; if they destroy the hanger, we've lost all hope. After you drop him off, come find me; there are only two AA guns in the fourth sector. I'll be in the one that is shooting down Venom fighters." She offered a sly little grin then, as if to remind the vixen, said, "Avoid Sector Three." She gathered her uniform into her arms and headed back out of the bedroom.

The lynx stopped at the front door and said, "Fox, you'd better take care of her. She trusts you, so I should too. But please take care… I'm going to try and man one of the anti aircraft guns to provide some sort of cover. If I can keep them occupied, I might be able to buy you guys the time you need to get to the hanger. Stay sharp." She lifted her palm to her lips then blew him a kiss and told him, "Good luck and remember to avoid Sector Three." She then dashed through the front door and into the Military Police cruiser out by Fara's convertible.

Fox pulled a shirt on over his body and re-shouldered his bag then asked, "Are you almost ready? We've got to hurry! The fire has spread to your backyard!" He approached a nearby window and pushed the translucent curtain aside. The flames danced over the wooden fence that separated the small section of grass between the two homes. The plastic bowl of a birdbath in the garden began to tip over. The heat caused the plastic stem to grow soft and the water-filled section on top pitched forward, spilling the water into the flowers nearby. The wooden fence collapsed, causing the flames to fan up and out.

He backed away from the window and said, "Let's go, it seems to be spreading quick. Grab your car keys!"

"I've got them in my paw," Fara called back. "I'm almost ready! I just need my ID card so I can get us through the electric fence! I don't know where I put it!"

Fox watched the duplex. The walls of the first floor collapsed. The second floor of the structure dropped down and billowed away from the burning remains. Fiery wreckage scattered out, raining hot debris on Fara's back lawn. A burning piece of half-melted plastic siding fell to the grass only a few inches from the sliding-glass door that led to the backyard. Seconds later a fiery chunk of wood smashed through the glass and landed on the living room floor.

"It's time to go, now!" Fox shouted. "Or we're going to have real problems and…" A massive crashing sound stifled Fox's voice, leaving him to gawk. He tossed his duffle bag over by the front door and dashed into Fara's bedroom. She lay on the floor at the foot of the bed; the roof collapsed over the headboard. A flaming tree branch extended through the new hole in her roof, hanging only a few feet above the mattress.

Flames licked across the stucco ceiling and down the far wall of her room. The fine oak headboard came into contact with the burning branch. Fox caught a glimpse at another Venom fighter thundering by through the new gap in the ceiling. He could barely hear the scream of its engines over the ambient roar of the flames.

Fox knelt down besides her, placing his paws beneath her arms. "C'mon, let's go!"

"We need that access card!" Fara shouted. "We need it!"

Fox glanced back up at the burning branch that extended from a large tree that stood adjacent to her home. The mighty limb began to lower, bringing the fiery mass closer to them. Part of the wall supported its weight but a loud grunting sound caused Fox's ears to flicker. The wall began to give out; a crack ran down along the white plaster surface. McCloud's eyes widened and he shoved Fara beneath the bed.

She rolled under the mattress just as the limb dropped down. It brushed against the top of the bed but its billowing branches covered most of the room. It knocked trinkets off of the dresser and armoire, lowering further as the back wall and ceiling continued to give away. Fox put his feet on the box spring above Fara's head and pushed his body back towards the bedroom doorway to avoid being swatted in the face by the branch's fiery fingertips.

Burning leaves littered the floor and aided in catching the bed on fire, leaving Fara to scramble to the far left, beneath the box-spring. Fox rolled out of the bedroom and paused for an instant. A brass handle reflected the daylight of the front doorway which caused him to blink in realization. He cut his gaze to the laundry room and dashed towards it. His shoulder met the white door, knocking it wide open, cracking the frame work in the process. His ears flickered but his mind barely registered the brass catch plate skittering noisily across the laundry room floorboards. The teenage boy stumbled into the small room dominated by a washing machine and dryer against the wall. The bouncing metal plate stopped in the left corner, besides the dryer, grabbing his attention again. His eyes lifted from the shiny brass object and stopped on a fire extinguisher hanging from a hook next to the dryer which still had a basket of her clothes sitting atop of the boxy white appliance.

He grabbed the red cylinder, threw it into the laundry basket that had her sweats and leotard then carried the basket back into the foyer. He tossed the basket on the floor and took the extinguisher back to the bedroom doorway. Fox wasted no time; he pulled the pin and squeezed the trigger, aiming the nozzle at hip level. Once he made a path to the bed, he used the canister as a blunt weapon, clearing gnarled twigs and upper branches that separated him from the vixen cowering underneath.

"Let's go!" he shouted. Fox dropped to his knees and reached for her paw. His fingers brushed along the floor and stopped against a plastic card. He knelt lower and looked into her wide eyes. McCloud lifted the white rectangular pass and her jaw dropped.

"That's it!" she exclaimed. "That's the swipe card we need to open the gate! It's like… sweet indemnity." Once again, like the time she seemed reluctant to eject from her Arwing, she sought to make light of the situation with what she considered a humorous one liner. "You carry that catcher's mitt wherever you go, don't you?" She saw his expression and added, "Okay, okay Fox! We can go now! I swear!"

He wiped the card against his shirt then placed it into his mouth and clamped down just as a precaution. His fingers closed around her biceps and he pulled her out from beneath the bed. Fueled by adrenaline, Fox stood up and lifted her to her feet in one graceful move. He pulled her close, forcing her face against his chest to protect her from the smoke and burning remains. Fire rose up from the mattress, dancing wildly upon the sheets and blankets.

He pulled her towards the bedroom door, looking down to make sure she was all right. His fur fluffed up, startled out of his mind, at the sound of her shrieking voice. "Fox, look out!"

He lifted his head; his eyes widened, coming face to face with a lizard festooned in shiny, almost ceramic-like attack gear. The lizard's green maw contorted into a sort of smirk. He drew a Venom-issue pistol and pointed it at McCloud. He stepped in front of Fara to protect her but she seemed to have her own ideas. The vixen dropped to her knees, crawling through the bedroom, alongside her mattress. She kept her head low and gave herself plenty of room to avoid the heat of the fire that now engulfed her king sized bed. Fox watched her over his shoulder, out of the corner of his eye. "Fara what are you doing?" He erupted in muffled words of disbelief over the plastic card between his lips. His eyes cut back to the shiny armored reptile. "You came for _her_ didn't you? You want those secret bombs for yourself, don't you?" He used his tongue to push the card from the right side of his muzzle over to the left.

"You're very perceptive, young S-s-sir." The elite guard gave his pistol a twirl then re-aimed it at Fox's face. "Now step aside; she's mine. I won't hurt her if you _both_ cooperate."

Back in the fiery bedroom, Fara opened her dresser drawer and took out a pair of jeans then opened another drawer and removed two socks. First, she pulled each sock over her right paw, then she wrapped the denim around the protective cotton socks. She reached up to the back of the mattress for something hidden under her pillow. The heated weapon hurt to hold despite three layers of fabric between the handgun and her velvet padded palm.

The adrenaline took over and she got to her feet. She came up behind Fox, aimed over his shoulder and pulled the trigger with a smirk. The powerful hand-cannon fired in silence. The extension barrel suppressed its flash and helped weigh the front end down to reduce recoil. Its destructive energy round connected with the guard's chest plate, causing his body to jerk back. However, the reflective armor deflected the energy round, forcing it upwards. The disrupter's discharge slammed into the living room ceiling, leaving a large hole with an eclipsing scorch mark to surround it. The lizard grinned and re-aimed his weapon, moving closer in defiance after having taken such a powerful attack to his armor.

Fox reached back for Fara with his free left paw, closing his fingers around her forearm. He guided her weapon down towards the floor and moved over to defend her with his own body.

The lizard eased his gun to the side, trying to get a bead on Phoenix. "I'm going to break your jaw for trying my patience, vixen." McCloud's ears flickered at the sound of the bedroom's window shattering from heat. The thermal intensity changed with most of the heat being sucked towards the window. The lizard's eyes flitted from left to right, also having heard the glass pane burst. Fox's sharp gaze gauged the direction of the weapon then he noted the lizard's distracted expression.

Still holding the fire extinguisher in his palm, opposite of Fara, Fox lifted his right arm, delivering an uppercut. The red metal canister, an extension of his paw, connected beneath the reptile's jowl. The lizard careened into the linen closet door and slid down to the carpeted floor. "Not if I break yours first," McCloud sneered over the plastic ID card wedged between his lips. Fox lifted the canister above his head to finish the job when something forceful struck it.

Chalky white foam poured out of the canister, creating a plume of solution. Fox's other paw released Fara's arm. Unable to hold the overheated weapon any longer, she dropped it on the floor and peeled the jeans and socks away from her forearm, leaving Fox to blink in regard to the situation. The young pilot stepped forward, through the doorway, blocking Fara in a protective manner. He motioned with his free paw for her to move towards the exit with caution. She did so, pressing herself against his back as they moved together. Fox glanced back at her then continued forward, through the doorway and into the living room. He came face to face with a second lizard that stood next to his duffle and Fara's laundry basket. He still held the fire extinguisher which now had a hole in the side from a blaster held by the other lizard. This one didn't wear any special armor and looked to be from a different division of the Venom Military.

"That shot was meant for your face," shouted the scaly brown skinned soldier. "You're lucky I only hit the…"

Fox didn't waste time on the Imperial lizard. He threw the canister at his attacker which knocked the blaster out of the soldier's hand. The reptile doubled over to reach for it but instead his face met Fox's foot which launched him to the left, over the coffee table that sat out in the open, parallel to the sofa bed.

The soldier toppled over the table, leaving him exposed to vulpine wrath. Fox tightened his mouth around the plastic card then hurdled over the table; he pounced the lizard bringing down all the weight and force that a single man could muster. He knelt over the fallen reptile; his eyes landed on the nearby extinguisher, disfigured from improper use. McCloud brought the damaged metal canister down on the second lizard's head, smashing him in the face.

Fox got to his feet and gazed over his shoulder at an ash-covered fennec who stood in her bedroom doorway. Her nightgown, covered by the chalky flame retardant solution used to save her life, looked equally disheveled and even tattered at a glance. She picked up the flowing gown in her paws and held it at hip height then broke into a loose sprint towards the front door. He followed suit, snatching the laundry basket and his duffle on the way out. They both went for her car.

He threw the laundry basket, filled with folded clothes, into the backseat of her convertible. He took a brief moment to wedge it between the backrest of the driver's seat and the cushion of the back seat. Fox placed his duffle on top to act as a weight to her folded apparel. She tossed him the keys. Fox threw the fire extinguisher on the ground and caught the keys with his left paw, reaching for the door handle with his right. He spit out the pass card, which landed in a cup holder between the two front seats. "You'll have to show me how to get to the hanger. Remember, we have to avoid the quarantined sector."

"Right," Fara chimed in. "Going through Sector Three is the most direct way but it's a health risk, so we'll take the scenic route." She gathered her now-dingy gown into her paws and sank into the passenger seat. "I can't believe how bold they are!" She glanced back towards the house then shouted, "FOX!"

McCloud spun about just in time to see an injured lizard in the doorway take aim and fire. He ducked the shot which nearly clipped his left ear. The vulpine boy rolled away from the car to keep it from being shot up. He tossed the keys back to Fara and shouted, "Put'em in the ignition!" He then grabbed for the red extinguisher but another blaster shot sent it flying out across the paved road. Fox jumped to his feet and broke into a sprint towards the lizard on the stoop.

The reptile tried to take aim again but Fox evasively faked to the left. The lizard jerked his weapon to the side to counter Fox's approach but was caught off guard by the Cornerian's faux maneuver. McCloud dodged back to the right and dove through the doorway, tackling his scaly foe to the living room floor. Somewhere in the background, he heard Fara scream his name again.

The interior of the house had succumbed to the fire. It spread along the ceiling and now covered most of the furnishings save for the coffee table. Fox's flying tackle sent both of them sprawling backwards so that the lizard's shoulders met that very same knee-high table. Surprisingly it held both their weight for several seconds before the legs snapped. They dropped with Fox still on top. The wooden structure, now flat beneath the lizard's body, provided Fox with a piece of wood to use as a weapon.

He snatched up a blunt wooden leg, as long as his forearm, and struck the soldier across the face repeatedly while using his other paw to snatch the blaster from the man's clawed hand. It went off twice, punching holes through the ceiling.

A red blaster beam erupted from the roof, leaving Fara to gasp from where she sat in the car. She watched in horror which changed to curiosity upon seeing the green skinned lizard with the shiny torso plate leap out the side window. He picked himself up from the grass and cupped his broken jaw, running off into the distance.

Back inside the house Fox wrestled the amber-skinned soldier, whipping his enemy with the wooden weapon. "Let go, dammit!" he hollered, trying to beat his enemy senseless with one paw and steal the pistol with his other. "Let GO!" he shouted, forcing both of his paws outwards. Without another thought, Fox jerked his head downwards, shattering the lizard's snout with his forehead. The heat of the blaze became too intense for the lizard to handle; where Fox had a fur coat to ward off the powerful thermal wave, the reptile's skin began to crack and peel. His blood began to boil and he crumbled to the floor, releasing the weapon.

Fox clinched his teeth together and made a split-second decision. He lifted the collapsed man over his shoulder and carried his enemy out of the house. Once they were out on the lawn, he threw the man into the grass and immediately stunned him with the blaster. McCloud lifted his gaze to Fara who sat in the car with a terrified look on her face. Fox frowned in reply to her expression and told her, "I couldn't let him burn alive; no one needs to suffer when they die. Besides, Corneria will need _someone_ to question when this is all over."

"I didn't know you were a humanitarian," she returned, sinking back into the passenger seat. "Let's hurry, Fox."

McCloud frowned. "I'm not," he said, sliding down into the driver's seat. "But leaving someone in a fire to get barbecued isn't right either. You either kill them yourself or you disable them for capture. You don't leave them to get cooked by a house fire. There are many rules that we check at the door when on a battlefield but there's only one code of honor; the rules change when it's mano y mano."

"Noble, Fox, but risking your fur for the enemy isn't exactly… I don't know." She trailed off then waved her paws at him to hurry.

Fox pulled the car door shut, glanced back at the burning house then looked down to the lizard in the grass again. He sighed, took the wheel in his left paw and reached for the shifter with his right. He paused then shook his head and explained, "In order to differentiate one side from the other, there has to be a _good_ side in this war."

"Even if it's one they started?" she asked. "At some point, war is just fighting to survive. It's just the contrasting, opposing sides trying to finish the day's battle so they can make camp one more night. Before long, no one even remembers why they are fighting; they just want to see their way to the next sunset. This amalgamation, that federation, this coalition, that confederacy, this alliance, that league. In the end, it's just side A and side B. And the sad thing is, Corneria doesn't have a reason to _be_ at war. We have every right to defend ourselves or hide like our Cornerian ancestors, but now look at us… we're planning and building weapons to make an offensive push right back to Venom. And I heard that it won't even be the first time, either." She glared at the lizard. It struggled to breathe, shedding some of his cracked skin. The cold blooded reptile lay there with a bloody nose and its mouth wide open. "He'll just live to fight another day thanks to you. I'll be blunt, Fox… if _he _doesn't die today, another Cornerian _will _die tomorrow" Fara looked over at McCloud then glanced back at the stunned reptile in the grass, ten feet from the road.

She turned her head back towards Fox and slumped back in her chair. Fara cleared her throat then changed the subject. "Unless you've lived on base, the roads can get confusing. We'll go through town. Maybe we can cut across the golf course or the park or something. Let's eyeball it as we go."

"Fair enough." Fox nodded and gave the key a turn in the ignition and the vehicle lifted up, supported by the anti-gravity hovering pads beneath the automobile. "But if it's all the same to you, let's avoid wide open spaces like driving through a _golf course_. A red car driving through an open green field is just asking for trouble with Imperial Fighters in the sky." His words were met by a dry sort of glare and so he replied with a grim smile then let off the clutch and pulled forward, gunning the accelerator.

* * *

**The red convertible was truly a driver's car**. The turning felt firm; not too cushy. Fox could _almost_ feel the road – an impossible feat for any hover car, including this one. The luxury steering system simulated the road's natural feel, however. Fox found himself rather surprised by its responsiveness. It felt like driving his grandfather's wheeled sedan from when he was still a teenager. The convertible offered a definitively incredible driving experience, regardless of having no physical contact with the ground. 

The engine growled through the first three gears, generating raw torque but by the sixth gear it purred at around forty-five hundred RPMs. At one hundred and fifty-five miles an hour, it tore through the flat section of the golf course with ease. Just as Fox predicted, a Venom fighter came to bare down upon them, half covering the convertible in the jet's shadow. "I don't know how I let you talk me into this!" Fox shouted over the ambiance of whipping wind.

The fighter lowered in altitude, as if moving in for a kill. "They'd follow us no matter where we went," Fara called back over the roar of the fighter's engines, directly above them. "But at least now you have the room to drive evasively, where you'd have to dodge things on the roadways. I don't have any weapons in this car, Fox! I mean, I _do_ but they're in the trunk and I can't get to that while you're driving. You'll just have to drive with your head!"

"Well, let's lose him," McCloud said in a softer voice, more to himself than to her. He weaved to the right and the jet followed. He moved to the left and the shadow moved once more, overtop the convertible. He eased off the accelerator and downshifted, slowing to one hundred twenty-five miles an hour. The fighter slowed, still covering them. "He won't slow down to sixty miles an hour; he'd stall out – I doubt he's stupid enough to fall for it but…" Fox trailed off.

He eased down to third gear and tapped the brakes. The fighter slowed but, rather than stalling, he overturned to create drag in order to stay with the car. McCloud looked up at the lizard in the cockpit and narrowed his gaze. They weren't dealing with an average pilot; the "plus-5" indicator painted on the hull near the canopy indicated that this reptile had achieved the status of 'ace'. McCloud stomped on the brakes and the convertible grunted, coming to a full stop.

The Venom fighter righted itself then pulled into a loop. Fox frowned then shifted into first gear and floored the accelerator. As the fighter reemerged from its loop, bearing down on them, it opened fire. Blaster marks scorched the putting green where the car had rested only seconds prior. McCloud redlined the car then shifted into second, climbing past sixty-five. He jerked the wheel right, narrowly avoiding another volley of blaster fire.

Fara clamped her paws around the door handle, her other paw closing about the seatbelt mount between the cushion and center console. Her eyes flitted back up and, in the background she heard Fox shout something sounding like, 'hold on' or something close to that effect. Her gaze returned to the grassy stretch before them; her pupils dilated. Her torso tightened. "Fox, there're more of them!" A squadron of five ships came at them from a thousand meters at twelve o'clock, bearing down at a high rate of speed. "They're coming right for us!"

"Good," she heard Fox say.

"Are you crazy?"

McCloud reached for the shifter again, offered her a smile and said, "At least they're not strafing the hangers and runway!" She couldn't argue with his logic. She simply held on for her life. Her body jolted with another quick maneuver, evading to the left followed by another left, leading into a quick right. Fox jolted left then right once more, now driving her convertible as if he were participating in a slalom race.

In an attempt to break the tension with a dash of humor, she leaned towards him and spoke into his ear over the roar of multiple engines. "I have insurance; stop driving like you're afraid to scratch it, Fox!"

Fox McCloud cut a quick grin at her. He shifted his eyes to her soft, feminine face then dipped his sea-green hues for a mere second, drinking in her somewhat demure facial features. Without actually giving her some sort of notice, he jerked the wheel back to the left, causing the fighter to break to port in pursuit. "There's no way he can see us with his own eyes down here," Fox explained over the ambient noise. "He's flying by instruments, and probably using a belly-mounted camera to see where we are. He's pretty damn good to fly blind like that but I want to use it to my advantage."

"How?" her voice cracked, surprising her. She cleared her throat and asked again.

Fox reached down to the shifter with his right paw and mashed in on the clutch with his foot. He shifted into fifth gear; the car continued to climb in speed, passing one hundred fifteen miles an hour. "Are you sure you're okay with an insurance claim?"

"…Fox, if you have a plan, just do it." Fara seemed to notice the look in his eyes and reached for the door handle. She braced herself in the seat, nodded and said, "I'm ready."

A wry grin tugged at the corner of his muzzle. He stomped the brakes and cut the wheel hard. Next, he dropped to second gear, floored the accelerator and leaned forward. The fighter pulled up into a loose loop then changed course to keep up. Along the edge of the 16th green, the Maglev tram rails crossed from north to south. Fox veered to the left until he came along the edge of the course. At the edge of the fairway, the terrain sloped straight down into the residential area. He could see the rooftops of homes from above and the road that went along at the bottom of the slope.

He downshifted again, redlining the convertible. The tachometer needle bounced against the number '8' on the gauge and the engine screamed, quavering in pitch as if panting rapidly. He cut the wheel hard to the left and the car leapt from the high ledge. Fara screeched in alarm but Fox kept his composure.

The vehicle's front end slammed into the rooftop of the nearest home but the hover pads beneath the vehicle forced it back up, following the arch of the roof. The screaming engine forced the vehicle to accelerate again; Fox used the rooftop as a ramp and the front end of the vehicle, minus its front bumper, lifted up at a forty-five degree angle.

Fara placed her left paw on Fox's leg and closed her fingers tightly around the fabric of his sweatpants. Her nails dug into him, gouging his flesh beneath the cotton and fur but he didn't flinch. Adrenaline coursed through him and he felt elevated from the rush. The convertible sailed over several more homes, veering slowly back to the right. The edge of the golf course passed back beneath them, followed by the Maglev rails.

He reached down to the center console and pulled up on the emergency brake; the reverse thrusters fired and the convertible began to drop in altitude. He leaned over the driver-side door, eyeing the tram rails. "It's going to be close…!" The small red coupe came down over the train rails, the front right end slammed into the maintenance walk that ran alongside the magnetic railway at the center of the tramline.

The tramline's superconductors worked in harmony with the magnetically designed hover pads beneath the convertible. The electromagnetic center rail reacted to the hover pads, forcing the convertible forward without help from the vehicle's engine. Fox pulled up on the emergency brake again, using the forward-mounted thrusters to slow them down to a near crawl. He reached for the electric roof button, causing the canvas-top roof to extend forward, covering their heads. Fara, falling into sync, reached up to latch the fasteners above the sun visors. Once both were secured, Fox put up all the windows.

He released the emergency brake and the magnetically stored force propelled the car forward at a sudden breakneck speed. Fox focused all of his concentration on steering the vehicle to keep it from veering to the left or right. Somewhere in the background, he heard her say, "I thought these were electro-_dynamic_ and required onboard magnets!" Fox didn't reply to her; he kept his eyes on the track and paws firm on the wheel.

The digital speedometer climbed over one hundred in what seemed like an instant. The fighter came from above; its shadow covered them on the track. Again, Fox could hear Fara speaking in the background. "Now we have nowhere to go, Fox! We're inhibited to go only one direction!" To him, her words were merely criticism coming from the mind of a chief test pilot, used to training people into conforming to their standards of evasive maneuvering. A grin tugged at the corner of his muzzle again, knowing that his way had merit of its own.

The convertible continued to race forwards, passing one hundred fifty miles an hour. The canvas top began to strain against the force of the wind current, rattling ever so slightly. The convertible hovered above the central rail and Fox kept his focus on control to keep it at the very center of the track. The speedometer passed one hundred eighty miles an hour. A soft humming could be heard from the force of air passing around the vehicle. The digital speedometer crossed the two hundred mark and continued to climb rapidly. "Smooth riding car, Fara. I hardly feel any shaking in the wheel at this speed." His critique was meant to portray himself as cool, calm and collected.

Fara's voice had a defining edge, now. "Fox, this can't be safe and there's no way we can outrun a fighter and even if you were to try, we'll be on the other side of the city in a few minutes! We need to get to the hanger!"

"Bare with me," Fox replied in a calm voice, keeping his eyes locked on the rail. The canvas rooftop strained against the fastenings. It seemed to ripple from the force of air that pushed in against it from above. The convertible surpassed two hundred fifty miles an hour, rattling the windows in their frames. "This is a high-end car," Fox explained. "The groves in the quarter panels to the doors and to the hood are less than three millimeters, it should hold a little longer but it's a canvas roof, so I want you to lean down and breathe between your knees, just incase."

Fara bit her lip, gawking at him. After a moment she leaned forward. The fennec put her paw against the dashboard, flipping off the passenger-side airbag. She then placed her paws over her head and tried to calm her breathing. The force of gravity made it difficult to stay in the position, however. The digital speedometer crawled from two hundred ninety-five miles per hour into the low three hundred-range. Fara suddenly sat back up, panting. "I… can't stay doubled over; it's too much strain…"

Fox couldn't argue, feeling the pressure of G-forces against his torso as well. "We're approaching five hundred kilometers per hour, Fara. I'm going to do something dangerous, so I want you to relax your body." He frowned then said, "Turn your airbag back on."

She struggled to lift her paw, reaching above the radio to the switch. She brushed her thumb against the button and a small orange light, reading "PSGR ABG OFF" fluttered twice then went dark. Her paw dropped to her lap, coming to rest against her tummy. Her sandy fur appeared to be slicked back, matching McCloud's.

The digital reading showed three hundred ten miles an hour and refused to climb any further. "This is it for this car, I guess… terminal velocity," Fox muttered. The canvas roof rattled, tugging at the latches where it had been clamped down above the sun visors. Liquid-like lines rolled from the front to the back of the ceiling. Both rearview mirrors folded inward from the pressure of air against the vehicle. The annoying howl of wind sounded almost like feedback from an electric bass guitar. It reminded Fox of his first music concert with his father, as a kid. The fighter stayed with them, easily able to match their speed.

"Hold on…!" Fox jerked the wheel to the left. The magnetic force behind their propulsion caused the convertible to slingshot away from the track, sailing high over treetops and buildings used as part of the training facility on base. Up ahead, the hanger opened up and the stretch of its runway spanned out before them. "I want you to take two deep breaths, quickly, then release all the air in your lungs… you have ten seconds… go!" He gasped a lungful of air and Fara did as she was told, following suit.

They both released their breath then drew in another large gulp of air… then, they both sighed deeply, until their lungs were empty. No sooner did they release their last breath, the latches gave out and the canvas rooftop ripped away from the car. A gust of wind struck them at two hundred miles an hour, causing both pilots to squint. The pavement of the hanger parking lot rushed up towards the vehicle. It overshot the front lot, sailed over the electric fence that required Fara's pass card, and collided with the hedges lining the backside of the ordinance shed.

The hood swung open with so much force that it struck the windshield, turning the glass into a fantastic web. Both front airbags deployed; the curtain bags on either side of the windshield rushed back, covering the side windows and the airbags set in the side of their chairs popped out, sounding like six gunshots all going off in unison. The front airbags caught each pilot in their face.

Fox felt his head slam back against the headrest and yet his body continued forward, straining against the seatbelt. The car tipped to the left as it continued through the hedges, filling their ears with painful screeching from the branches that scraped against the metal siding.

A split second passed; they continued through the last bush and onto the pavement of the runway. The hover pads couldn't support the convertible's downward inertia, causing the undercarriage to bottom out. The backend of the car fishtailed to the left, sending them into a spin. Fox felt himself pinned to the seat. He tried to reach for Fara but couldn't lift his paw from the force.

The car spun about three dizzying times before it came to rest fifty feet from a row of Arwings. He hunched forward against the taut seatbelt, his head dropping forward against the deflating canvas bag. Blood dripped from the left side of his nose where he'd been hit in the face by the high impact safety device. His eyes zeroed in on the mild gash that glistened on his right thigh where Fara's nails had dug in earlier. His heart raced and he felt dazed and confused.

Suddenly he gasped for air, drawing it in loudly as if he'd just emerged from deep water. However, Fara couldn't seem to catch a single breath. She opened her mouth, attempting to suck in oxygen, looking much like a fish out of water. The panicked vixen reached for her throat, placing her other paw against the seat, between her knees.

Fox unbuckled his seatbelt and elbowed the semi-deflated airbag back towards the steering wheel. He watched her in horror for a moment, unable to suck air into her body. Without thinking, he reached for either side of her face and pressed his mouth against hers. He expelled everything in his lungs in an attempt to give her air. He drew in another deep breath through his nose and did it again. Between the calming touch of his paws and lips, combined with two forceful gusts of air, she finally allowed her lungs to fill. She coughed hard against his maw and he broke the pseudo-kiss.

She doubled over, burying her forehead against the dashboard airbag, choking on the dust from its deployment. It clouded upwards where the roof used to be, allowing her to finally catch a breath of fresh air. The fennec turned to him with wide eyes. "I …don't know if you're daring, clever, stupid or crazy, Fox."

"Fox!" The masculine shout came from across the lot. Falco Lombardi approached the smoking convertible, continuing to holler as he approached. "Are you kidding? That was the wildest stunt I've ever seen, you cocky madman! I can't even believe it was _you_ who just drove off the Maglev rails like that!" He paused, glanced to Fara in a soot-covered night gown, partially covered in extinguishing solution and added, "Nice duds babe." He blinked at Fara's sudden scowl and added, "…I mean Chief Petty Officer Phoenix."

McCloud ignored him for the moment, turned back to Fara and again pressed his lips against her forehead. "I'm sorry I put you in danger. I didn't want that thing strafing us with its blasters and… I don't know _what_ I was thinking." The shadow of the fighter passed overhead but before they could react to it, an explosive round burst high in the air, forcing the fighter to change direction. It was then that Fox realized anti-aircraft gunfire dotted the sky in every direction.

She put her paw over the front of his muzzle. "We're here and we're alive. Just hurry before they destroy the Arwings, Fox."

He nodded and shoved the airbag through the top arch of the steering wheel then climbed over the driver side door. He wobbled forward, but because of his adrenaline, his body recovered its equilibrium quickly. He shook his head hard then glanced over his shoulder at her, seated inside of the ruined luxury convertible. "I'm… I'm really sorry about the car, Fara."

"Shh," she waved her paws at him, ushering him to hurry towards the Arwings. "I'll pick up another one next time I'm on Papetoon, Fox. Just go. There's a whole factory of these things on Papetoon, in its capital, there. Just go!"

"I mean, I just…" Fox continued.

"Shush!" she retorted overtop his voice. He blinked at her interruption. "You're just in shock, Fox. Hurry up and take off! That's an order! I told you, there's an entire factory of this brand sitting on Papetoon!"

Falco came up alongside of Fox, shoving him tow ards the nearest fighter lined along the runway. "I can't believe you totaled her Special Edition Corellium-Legend Coupe, Fox! There's only, like, sixteen hundred of those things in the entire Lylat System!" He continued to push Fox towards the Arwings.

* * *

"**Shall I call a doctor, ma'am?**" asked the reptilian bodyguard. The concern in his voice surprised her more than the unseen voice that stole her breath. She shook her head vehemently and arose to one knee, panting fresh air. The lizard offered a scaly hand. "Mrs. Oikonny? Are you all right?" 

She looked from the brown three-fingered hand over to her sleeping husband across the room. With a measure of reluctance, she reached up and took his hand. He placed his other hand beneath her elbow and helped her back to her feet. Caroline sighed and offered the guard a weary smile. "No, Lo'nel… a Doctor won't be necessary. However, I would appreciate it if you brought me my phone; I need to contact the Emperor. It's urgent."

"Right away, ma'am," he replied in a smooth, well practiced Cornerian dialect. He left the bedroom in haste only to return with the cordless audio communicator handset. She took it from him and dismissed him from the room.

She waited until the door was completely shut before calling Andross. As soon as she heard his voice on the other end, she exclaimed, "I had an intense vision, m'liege."

Andross' voice came over the receiver. "And what did it tell you, Caroline?"

She switched the phone to her other ear and sat down on the mattress besides the Emperor's dying brother. "Many things. It told me that the Cornerians have devised a cure for the Plague. If we act swiftly, it may save your brother _and_ your sister-in-law."

"…You've contracted it?" asked Andross. "I thought the Doctor deemed you naturally immune?"

She sighed. "Perhaps it was only a naturally higher tolerance. I'm afraid that I'm now showing symptoms. This morning, I tested positive for the Venomian Plague. I fainted almost immediately after being told… I only _just_ awoke ten minutes ago, after having an intense premonition. If Andrew is to become the heir of your throne, he will need this vaccine as well. Also, I saw something else in my dream that involves your safety. You would do well to heed my advice, Emperor."

"You're my most trusted advisor, Caroline. Your very existence is my deepest secret and only my most trusted of guards are privileged to serve you. Please, if you are tired and need to rest, advise me tomorrow."

"I appreciate your concern; this is a priority, however." She paused, placed her free hand against her forehead and sighed. "But do pardon me; I've a terrible headache from the vision." She drew in another slow breath then, calmly, said, "Engage your audio encryption software." The line distorted for a moment then cleared to normal. She took a deep breath and, in an almost melancholy voice, said, "The bio-weapon you've built to defend Venom may be in danger, Andy. No one knows of its existence but I saw it destroyed in my vision."

"By whom, Caroline?" The Emperor's voice sounded different. It was almost as if she could see the sickly pale flesh of his cheeks just by the fear in his voice.

"The son of James McCloud. Your creation, Andorufu, needs its own security measures." She paused to cough into her free hand then said, "I suggest that you build a machine that is identical to your bio-weapon. You can even give it the same flesh-and-blood exterior, so that no one can tell them apart… but give this one a robotic center and simply call it Andorf… something ultimately disposable. Let it be a decoy. It may be your only chance."

"I assure you the weapon I have made is invincible. I created it from my own DNA and I can link up to it by climbing inside of it. I've genetically engineered it to be perfect and… combined with the telekinetic amplification module… I can swallow up and spit out their measly tin-can planes with ease."

"I implore you," she said in a desperate tone. "Build a robotic twin and employ it first as a decoy. If that fails, make your enemies fight the StarWolf squadron… just put as many obstacles as possible between you and your enemies, please."

"I…" Andross grew quiet. After a moment, he told her, "Let's tell no one of this decoy. For it to be the most effective, I would prefer that even our most trusted guards stay in the dark. Let's not tell your son, either. I wouldn't want him to become a target for anyone who wishes to know something vital such as this."

"I'm glad you believe in me, Andy."

"Your clairvoyant council is something I respect, Caroline. I should go; I have much to do, now. I'm not sure if I can create a low-power twin Telekinetic Amplifier for this decoy."

Caroline pondered aloud. "The only problem that I foresee is creating a true artificial intelligence to pilot the robotic version."

"I have a special operations force on Papetoon, handling that." Andross' smile could be heard in the way he spoke.

"Oh?"

Andross' grin widened, audible in the way he pronounced each word. "I've already created Artificial Intelligence, Caroline. His name is _Herbert Dengar_. He disappeared on Papetoon but my men will retrieve him very soon. Even if I have to go there myself and bring him back… He'll be the pilot. He'll do anything for me if I promise to provide financial freedom for his greedy forty-something year old son, Pigma. No worries, Caroline. Thank you for calling me. Go and rest. And don't worry – I'll have my forces on Corneria capture a sample of that cure if it truly exists."

She sounded tired. "It does. Please make haste. The men on the front line must make that their priority, even if it means having every available unit fall back to provide cover for the transporter that brings it to us."

"Fair enough," replied the Emperor. He disconnected the line from his end, leaving Caroline to the quiet of her bedroom. There she sat, looking at the phone in her hand and listening to her husband's breathing machine that sat on the opposite side of the bed. She laid down besides him, closed her eyes and sighed.

* * *

**Miyu Lynx** tightened her paws around the 'U'-shaped control stick. The seat rattled beneath her with every fresh burst of orange plasma discharged from the barrel below. The anti-aircraft gun pivoted on its rails, facing west. She opened fire again, leading her aim in front of another fighter that passed over the ground turret. 

The Flea fighter darted to the right and she followed it with her targeting reticule. The center piece flashed red as it passed over the Venom fighter then flashed blue. She quirked her brows in confusion then watched with surprise as the fighter erupted into a fiery end. The clutter of debris flew apart making a hole; an Arwing fighter emerged from the explosion, performing a victory barrel roll to show off. Miyu's eyes widened and a grin tugged at the corner of her muzzle.

"That's what I'm talking about," she muttered beneath her breath. She used the foot pedals to rotate to the left and opened fire on another enemy fighter. It moved evasively but pulled up, causing it to lose speed and power. She anticipated its movements and compensated before the pilot could react accordingly. "You've _got_ to be a newbie." She continued to mash down the triggers, ripping into the fighter's engines.

"Yee-haw!" she erupted in glee. The feline rotated back to the right to hunt for her next target with a broad grin tugging at her muzzle. She narrowed her eyes, hunching forward over the controls. "C'mon, who's next?"

Another Arwing screamed across the sky at a high rate of speed. She saw a Venom fighter come in behind it and narrowed her eyes. The Flea performed a loose barrel roll and tapped its afterburners, trying to get directly behind the Arwing. She used a zoom feature on the control panel, enlarging the visual of the Venom war-bird closing on the sleek silver prototype.

She could see the "ACE" markings on the hull and narrowed her gaze further. Miyu pressed a few buttons on a panel to her left. A small red ring popped up over the Arwing, showing where the computer guesstimated the enemy to be. She followed the red visual cue and, after another moment of sizing up the situation, opened fire.

The accuracy of the computer surprised her. The plasma discharge headed towards both fighters and caught the Venom Flea flat against its belly. The large polygon-like wings popped from its body and the main section of the fighter burst. She beat her right fist against the thick safety glass to her immediate right, pleased with her successful shot. The aristocratic feline glanced down at the enemy readout display on her sensor scope; the radar seemed clear.

"Boy," she said aloud followed by a blink. She continued in silence, thinking, '_Those guys really cleared the skies quick._' A knock on the side of her turret caused the lynx to gasp in surprise. She punched in the button sequence to open the entrance door and reached for a hidden blaster.

Her eyes stopped on Fara who had apparently secured a military police car. Miyu blinked a few times then offered an awkward looking smile. "Fara? You made it! W…what is going on?"

"It's a long story," said the fennec with a sharp frown on her face. "But one of the Flea fighters crash landed at the hanger and survived for the most part. The pilot was delirious, babbling how he wanted to die by fire before 'the attack' happened."

The feline scrunched her brows in confusion. "What're you talking about? They're attacking right now."

Fara nodded in reply. "I said the same thing, but he must have hit his head pretty hard, because he kept babbling." She waved for Miyu to follow her back towards the police car. "C'mon, we've got to hurry and pick up Fay in Westtown. That guy looked up at me when I opened his cockpit, then looked at the gun in my paw and said, '_Shoot me quickly. The nerve gas… I can't die to something as horrible as nerve gas. Shoot me, please_.' And I panicked; I came here to get you."

"Venom is planning this front line attack as some sort of front?"

"I'm not sure," Fara replied with a sigh. "But it _could_ be a front. I saw a group of Imperial soldiers raiding the CCUH on the way over here. There were a lot of them and there was a troop transport ship in the court yard, waiting to airlift them out."

Miyu slid out of the turret's seat. "The Corneria Capital University Hospital is under attack? Jeeze. What did you do to the pilot who survived that crash at the hanger?"

Fara walked back towards the Military Police car, a black and green sedan with military markings on the side. She tossed the keys to Miyu and said, "I'm really not up to driving. He was dying so… I used his service pistol to finish it." Fara opened the passenger door, dropped into the seat and sighed. "So much has changed in the last few days, Miyu. Josh was the first guy I've ever seen blown away from a _gun_. In the last few days, though, I've seen lizards die and some of them were …" She trailed off and closed her eyes.

Miyu moved into the driver's seat, buckled the belt and started the engine. "Killed by _you_?" She gunned the engine and pulled the car onto the road, heading for the Westside gates. "It's war. It really sucks. I still think about the guy I blew away that night. You said _Josh_, right? It's not like I've shot people until recently. It bothers you until you've done it a thousand times. Even then, it should bother you. If it doesn't, something is wrong with you. Don't let it make you hesitate in the battlefield, but if you don't feel some sort of remorse later on, you've lost touch with your humanity."

"It's awkward." Fara leaned back in the uncomfortable vinyl seat, pulled the seat belt over her chest then folded her arms. "Just the other day, I had to blow away some guy with a blaster. It was on the highest setting and there was nothing left of the guy when the deed was done, but… he was a huge scumball. He was talking about raping Cornerian women and scolded me for hesitating to pull the trigger. I looked away and vaporized him. That wasn't very bad, because there was no body. But now… I shot a man to end his suffering and…"

"…You looked at his body after you pulled the trigger," Miyu concluded. "I can imagine that's hard, Fara. He's looking up at you, saying words… then you shoot him and he's not moving. It's traumatic but it _is_ a part of war… and you took away his suffering."

"…Yeah. Things were different last night, when we were talking in my room. It feels like a different lifetime… like it happened thousands of years ago."

Miyu changed the subject in an attempt to change the direction of their conversation. "We'll get Fay then we'll figure out what Venom is up to and stop it, how's that sound?" She drove them through the abandoned west gate and merged onto a nearby exit for the main highway. "I hope those guys are capable of holding the skies of Corneria until we get back."

Fara didn't say anything for the time being. The military radio came to life on Miyu's belt. She paused and listened. "This is dispatch! We've just received word that Venom has stolen two glass vials from the on-base hospital! It appears that, for the moment, Venom troops are falling back to cover the ship that seems to be transporting the stolen substances. Some have speculated that this could have been the reason for the initial attack, but your orders are to fortify your positions until the attack concludes."

The aristocratic looking feline reached for the receiver on her shoulder. "This is Miyu Lynx. I've left the base because I was following my previous orders of staying with a high priority person."

"Lynx? You left the base?" shouted the dispatcher. "Your orders were to keep the Chief Petty Officer and the Mercenary Leader in one location, and not let them out of your sight!"

Miyu grimaced. "Yes, but then we were attacked and her house burned to the ground!" She licked her lips, kept her paw on the receiver button then drew in a deep breath. "He reported to the hanger. She left for a different sector to rescue a pilot on her team. I'm in pursuit to ensure her safety. I'll return to the base with her as soon as I am able to do so." She released the button on the side of the handset then turned to Fara and grinned. "And what are they so upset about? They just said Venom is pulling back all of a sudden."

"Westtown is a short drive with all these empty roads, anyhow," said Fara in agreement. "It's not like you're abandoning your post. Just the same, let's grab Fay and hurry."

"Agreed." Miyu shifted her weight, getting comfortable in the driver's seat. Fara leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. After a few more seconds she squinted at something further down the road then gasped sharply. Miyu tilted her head and said, "What's wrong; what did you see?"

Fara closed her paws into loose fists out of frustration. She swallowed a lump in her throat and said, "I see a Venom mobile attack walker, behind the trees in the distance." She leaned towards the passenger window and narrowed her eyes, trying to see another glimpse of the two-legged B.A.T. in the distance. The road opened up into a field that ran alongside of the wall of trees. Both of them gasped, clearly seeing the walker.

Miyu narrowed her eyes, tightening her grip on the wheel. "First we have germ warfare in Sector 3, then an aerial assault, followed by the mention of chemical agents… now we have Biped Attack Tanks? What's next?" The massive contraption used its clawed hand to pick up a metal girder from a nearby building. It cocked its mighty metallic arm back and launched the iron bar at them, over a mile away. The massive iron girder passed over the convertible and struck the road, sticking straight up into the air behind the two.

"Oh, crap! I hope you drive better than Fox," Fara groused, running her fingers back through her headfur. "This is too much. I can only take so much excitement in one day. Miyu, let's try and avoid that thing now that he knows we're here. Let's go!" The tank lifted one of its arms, pointing at them with a Fusion Cannon. "Oh crap… This… this isn't good at all." A particle build up illuminated the barrel, brilliant like Solar on a sunny summer day. "He's charging his shot," Fara muttered, having a momentary flashback of the Battle Attack Cruiser that took out her Arwing. The weapon flashed, releasing the massive glob of energy; her eyes widened with fear…

* * *

A/N: 

_Thanks again to Destructor (Writer of Phoenix From The Ashes) for editing and helping to make sure I had all my T's crossed and I's dotted. He's mah hero:D_

_LISTEN, guys… Let me know what you guys thought. Also, let me know if you're still going to read this story if I add a little stuff concerning Fox, Miyu and Fay from SF2 which was never released. I know SOME of you want me to skip right to his relationship with Krystal… so I need to know what people WANT TO SEE! _

_Let me know!_

_Okay it's time to work on chapter 11. I owe it to you guys to get through this, finish with the first act of Fox's life involving Fara Phoenix… and start on Chapter 23, so that we can better relate to her waking up in the future. After all, she's probably going to meet an old, married version of Fox, as well as his wife Krystal, in the future.. in either chapter 23 or 24. So I feel that by getting to the end of "act 1" for this story will HELP people understand Fara's feelings when I get to her meeting Fox in Reflections of a New Generation. It won't be much longer, I promise! _

_-k_


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: _I am now working on the new chapter for REFLECTIONS OF A NEW GENERATION. That will be my NEXT update. I promise.  
__Now for a re-cap of where we left off...

* * *

_

Chapter -**11**-  
_Initial Venom Offensive_

_About __Twenty-Five__ Minutes **Ago**…_

**Falco Lombardi paced in front of the electrified fence** with a scowl on his face. To Peppy, he looked rather goofy talking to himself while stomping around in front of the metal gate. The hare cut his gaze over to the humming metal fence and frowned thoughtfully.

The avian kicked a rock at the fence, which sparked in reply. "Where are those two? We need an access card so we can freakin' fly!"

Hare rubbed either side of his face with a sigh and approached the falcon. "Relax, will you? I'm sure they're on their way. Just stay sharp. I know that there are ground forces here, too. It's more than just an air raid. Our other option is to try and find a way to circumvent this fence."

"We could t-t-try and find the power relay for the fence," said Slippy from somewhere behind the rabbit. Peppy turned to him and offered the toad a slight grin then shook his head. The frog's face dimmed and his boyishly expressive eyes dropped to the ground. "Just trying to help, Peppy. I thought it was a good idea."

"Yeah well, apparently it was a _dumb_ one," retorted Falco.

"Stop fighting, you two." Peppy sighed and ran his fingers back through his short headfur. "We can't go looking for the power relay station or the backup generators because they'll be better guarded than the fence. We need a way under or over… Another idea would be to find a weapon that we can use to take out a portion of the fence."

A gruff voice came from behind. "No one here will be procuring _any_ weapons, Cornerian scum." A small squadron of lizards walked out onto the parking lot with their weapons raised. The leader, a green skinned Imperial, wore fancy ceramic armor and had dried blood at the left and right corners of his mouth. "You there," he said, nodding towards Slippy. "Amphibian, I'll give you one chance to walk away from these two and join us. It's a rare opportunity to be allowed recruitment after being spotted with Cornerians so I implore you to take advantage of this opportunity."

Slippy balled his hands up. "You can t-take your offer and s-stick it up your f-f-freakin' ass. These guys are my friends! …Loser."

The lizard approached the toad and the other three lizards fanned out to surround Falco and Peppy. The leader looked Slippy over as if sizing him up. Slippy did his best to try and return the same imposing glare. Finally, the lizard lifted his weapon from Slippy's face at a ninety degree angle, casually holding it straight up in the air. He relaxed his stance to a slouch with a sarcastic smirk. Slippy placed his hands on his hips in rebuttal.

Peppy cut his gaze over at Falco who seemed to be watching the silent altercation intensely. The rabbit panned his eyes back towards the reptile and amphibian. A slight smile tugged at the corner of the middle-aged hare's mouth. He felt pride welling up in his torso at the way Slippy stood up for himself.

Without warning, the lizard brought his free hand up, burying it into Slippy's gut. The frog sank to his knees, favoring his stomach from the blow. Peppy's eyes shifted back to Falco who stormed over to the two, fuming at the situation. Hare watched helplessly, trying not to get himself shot. He winced, fearing the avian would be sealing his own fate at any second.

"Hey, slime-ball!" Falco shouted. "You're a pretty tough guy, picking on a teenager without a weapon. Reptiles and birds, we're supposed to be pretty similar… so why don't you match your wits with _me_, asshole."

"Close your beak or you're next," said the soldier.

"I _am_ next," Falco rebutted, rolling up his right sleeve. "Let's go; right here and right now."

"Falco, I'm fine," muttered the frog, coming up to one knee.

The lizard pistol-whipped Slippy across the side of his face. The entire group watched in horror as Slippy dropped to the sidewalk, dazed from the strike. Slippy's arm twitched and he tried to sit up but the lizard pointed his gun at the frog in return. "I didn't say you could get up, froggie."

Falco kicked his leg out, striking the weapon. His clawed talons closed around the gun and he leaned forward, bringing his leg back down. He successfully snatched the weapon out of the lizard's hand, reached forward and struck the reptile across the side of his forehead then jerked his leg back, foot-throwing the weapon to Peppy.

Hare caught the weapon, turned it on the lead soldier and fired. The high power round struck his glossy armor and seemingly bounced off. The ricochet hit the ground, leaving a scorch mark in the pavement. Peppy's ears lifted, hearing three other safety switches being released. All the barrels now pointed at him. His eyes flitted to the soldier on the left then panned right, towards the other two. '_Great_,' he thought. '_A stand off; just what we needed._' He swallowed the lump in his throat then licked his lips in apprehension. He didn't want to get his young team killed.

"Just let them walk away," Peppy said calmly. "And I'll go with you guys. I'm the one you want, anyhow."

"And just_ who_ the hell are you?" said the leader, reaching up to rub at the side of his head before turning his gaze back to Lombardi. "You're all interfering as far as I am concerned. You're no one special, just three idiots in the wrong place at the wrong time." He paused and reached his scaly hand back to the side of his shiny helmet, pushing inward on it. "Yes, I'm here. We're in position but taking out three Cornerians. Go ahead and finish deactivating the fence. We'll take it from here." Another pause, then, "Heavy? We should be able to handle at least two." A final pause followed by, "Copy; over and out."

The humming fence went quiet. Peppy made eye contact with Slippy who shifted his eyes over at the guard on the far left, blinked twice then canted his head back towards the two guards on the rabbit's right. Peppy tightened his jaw then offered the slightest nod. He lowered the gun and shifted it about in his paw so that he was holding it by the barrel.

"I'm glad you decided to surrender," said the lizard; he shifted his focus back to Lombardi.

Peppy didn't respond. He flitted his wrist, using the handle of the weapon to point to the two guards on his right. Slippy offered the slightest nod in return. Peppy took a slow breath, trying to clear his head and ready himself for such a stupid stunt. He closed his eyes for a moment then turned to the armed soldier on his left. He slowly lifted the gun towards the soldier, offering it up, handle first and said, "Yeah… Surrender. I… guess that would be best."

He tossed the gun towards Slippy and dove forward, tackling the armed guard in front of him. The remaining two, standing behind them, quickly canted their heads down to sight the back of the rabbit's head. Everything happened quickly; before they could even aim, Slippy caught the weapon and shot it at them.

The first round passed between the other two guards, causing them to take evasive maneuvers. They fell back, forgetting about Peppy and shifted their guns towards Slippy. The toad fired off a second round. The gunshot struck one of the two guards in the face. The powerful discharge flung the soldier back much to the frog's pleasure. He rolled hard to the right and fired again, forcing the remaining guard to leap out of the way.

Meanwhile, Peppy threw two quick jabs into his opponent's gut, perched atop of his enemy's waist. He threw two more quick jabs, placing each fist beneath the reptile's jaw. He then reached to the left, snatching the weapon from the lizard's right hand and buried his own right fist into the scaly Imperial's face. The last attack rendered the soldier unconscious. He drew his arm back and fired two shots at the remaining guard who had his weapon leveled at Slippy.

Both Toad and Hare fired at the same time, striking the lizard in the torso from two angles. He screamed and dropped to the asphalt. Peppy cut his gaze over to Falco just as the bird planted a fist against the leader's jaw. The single uppercut brought the trooper to his knees. The reptilian soldier let out a cry of pain, bringing both hands to favor either side of his already-broken jaw. Falco stood there, stunned at the effectiveness of a single blow.

Lombardi reached for the lizard, snatched his shoulder pads and lifted the man to his feet. "Are you kidding? Just one swing and you're on the ground like a baby?" He shoved the man against the silent fence then cocked his fist again. "Now get up like a man, so I can put a _real_ beating on ya!"

"His jaw is broken," Peppy announced. The rabbit stood up from his unconscious opponent, approached the nineteen year old and placed a calm paw on the boy's cocked fist. "The way he's holding it, and judging by the lumps in his jaw, I'm willing to wager it's broken in two places."

"What?" Falco balked almost as if he were insulted. "Two places? I only hit him _one_ time in the mouth. The other swing was at his forehead."

"He _was_ talking a little f-f-funny," Slippy said, standing up. "Maybe it was already broken before but we just didn't realize it." He pointed the gun at the lizard to keep his friends covered then drew silent.

"I think he's just a pansy," Falco said, keeping his fist cocked. "But look at him. He's lying against the fence and it's not shocking him… so it looks like his buddies helped us out by shutting down the fence."

"You're right, Falco." Peppy released the avian's forearm, keeping his other paw extended so that the weapon barrel brushed against another soldier's forehead. "His armor is pretty slick but it won't stop a blaster from killing him if I have it pressed against his head." He shifted his inquiry to the lizard in question and added, "Will it?"

"Kill me," said the green scaled man, using his tongue to form the words, unable to open his mouth any further. The lizard mumbled something else that seemed unintelligible, inhibited by having two fractures in his jawbone. "Do it," he goaded, forming the words sloppily.

"Oh crap," Peppy announced.

Falco blinked. "What?"

Peppy used his free left paw to guide Falco away then stepped directly in front of the lizard, keeping the gun against the soldier's forehead. "The aerial attack is some sort of _diversion_. This guy was here to _steal_ some sort of Arwing weapon; the bomb that Fox used to take out the Battle Attack Carrier over Westtown the other day. It's supposed to be a secret weapon but the rumor got out that Venom has been _trying_ to steal it for quite some time. One of the recruits told me about it last night at the scuttlebutt."

Slippy approached the leader on the opposite side from Falco, standing on Peppy's right. He cleared his throat and shifted the gun to his right hand then cast a glance at the rabbit. "You _still_ call a water fountain a scuttlebutt? No offence, but… Geeze you're old school."

Peppy frowned. "Quit dinkin' around, Slip. Anyhow, these guys were trying to get through the fence to the Arwings. I heard they tried several times in the past to get the new bombs and that's how this whole mess got started, ultimately causing most of Corneria's military leaders to get canned." He pushed the barrel against the lizard's forehead, leaving a round ring indentation. "But a whole air strike just to cover _this_? That doesn't seem right."

"Kill me," said the lizard with a calm yet firm tone.

"There would be more than three… or less than two," Peppy continued. "If they wanted to go for stealthy, they'd have just sent one _very_ competent soldier. But they know that these things _have_ to weigh a lot, yet they didn't send but four people. They have no way to transport these things, so I think they're only here to make a "Plan C" attempt. This mustn't be the main objective for the attack." He reached his left paw between the lizard's clawed hands and snatched the reptile by his throat. "Talk."

"Nghh!" groaned the soldier in reply. Peppy lifted his paw further up the soldier's neck, so that his knuckles brushed the bottom side of the man's broken jaw. Another muffled yelp escaped his mouth but nothing coherent. Peppy forced his paw further upwards, applying pressure to the lizard's cradled jaw. The man groaned in pain but didn't talk.

"Fair enough," said the rabbit. He stepped back, aimed his gun at the lizard and said, "Break his face, Falco."

Lombardi cracked his knuckles; a grin spread across his beak. "With pleasure, grandpa." He approached the lizard, popping each of his knuckle joints one at a time, just to be further imposing. "I'm going to shatter that jaw then I'll have him picking teeth out of his crap for a week." He cocked his fist back. "He'll be drinking jail food through a straw."

"Wait!" cried the lizard. Everyone froze. The soldier shifted his gaze from Falco to Peppy then back to Falco. He spoke slowly, pushing the pain of his jaw aside to save face. "I waited until the MP officer left the fennec's house. It was on fire and so I rushed inside because she has the key to the fence."

"She's the chief test pilot," said Peppy. "It makes sense that she'd be the only one with access to the Arwings. It's _her_ program. So where is she?"

The reptile continued with his slowly spoken words. "She had a male fox with her. He attacked me with a red object and broke my jaw. They got away so we changed the…" he struggled to form the next word. "…'Lan"

"Okay," said Peppy. "You had a change of _plan_. I get it, you can't talk well 'cause Fox broke your jaw and Falco slugged you in the same place while it was tender. Then what happened?"

"I got three men and we came here."

Peppy shook his head with a frown. "I believe you but there's more going on here than you're telling me. I trust my gut; my instincts tell me that you're omitting information."

The lizard's eyes rolled upwards and his body went limp against the fence. He keeled over onto the parking lot, motionless. His scaly tail twitched from a muscle spasm. Falco lifted his body up and carried him across the parking lot. The rabbit watched in amusement as Slippy ran alongside of Falco, reading the avian's mind. Slippy opened the top of a trash dumpster and Falco approached it with a leisurely pace. He leaned forward, shrugged his shoulders upwards and flung the lizard into the metal box. Slippy flipped the lid shut.

"You two are something else," said Hare with a chuckle. "Let's get prepped for launch. Hopefully Fox will show up but if he doesn't, I want Falco to fly lead." He turned to the gate's large hook-like mechanism and climbed up the chain links carefully. Peppy took a moment to wedge the two pieces of metal apart while Falco and Slippy pushed the gate back on its rolling track. Hare dropped to his feet and walked through the gate; the two teenagers followed him through.

The screaming engines of an incoming Venom ship grabbed their attention. Peppy canted his head about, lifting his left ear upwards. The long stalk remained bent at the middle; his right one became fully erect. The trio turned to face the tram rails that towered three stories above the ground, watching as the Flea fighter followed along the track.

Falco's eyes followed the incoming fighter as it trailed something up on the tracks. It attempted a pot-shot but the blaster discharge skimmed over the side of the rails and disappeared in the trees below. "Is he trying to attack a MagLev train?" asked Falco.

"I don't see a train up there," Peppy said. "They're tall enough that I can usually see a little bit of the tram car as it passes. Plus, I don't _hear_ a tram car; those things are ridiculously noisy at that speed. That fighter is moving quickly; maybe he's just following the tracks for some reason."

"Look!" Slippy shouted.

A red convertible darted over the side of the rails at an incredible rate of speed. The front end eased forward, devoid of its bumper. The three pilots came close together, watching in awe. "Holy smokes, is that what I think it is?" Falco whispered. "Those cars are worth a _mint_." The roof popped open, caught the wind and ripped clean off the back. Falco winced and said, "Aw geeze laweeze, that's… man. Wait…" He squinted; the car continued to sail through the air, clearing over the electrified gates. "I think… I think I saw Fox behind the wheel; just a glimpse!" Lombardi broke into a sharp sprint, chasing after the car. Its shadow passed over him and the vehicle continued to sail towards the ordinance shed at the back corner of the runway. It disappeared behind the small building followed by a rather odd sounding noise.

Peppy blinked and turned to Slippy. "That's not what it sounds like when a metal object drops three stories and hits pavement." Scraping noises filled his ears, however faint. "It sounds like it landed in some bushes… Are there bushes behind that building?" He and Slippy began to jog towards the ordinance shed.

"I think so; I wasn't paying attention last time we landed the Arwings," replied Slippy. "But I think there were some hedges or something. Some sort of landscaping, at least. I hope it wasn't f-Fox in that thing. That was nearly a suicide jump, at best."

"Maybe, but if you land it right, hover pads would slow its fall prior to impact," Peppy replied as the two continued towards the building. Peppy's ears flickered again, hearing Falco's excited voice up ahead. "It wasn't necessarily a smart thing to do with a nice car, either." The rabbit face-faulted. He thought for a moment then added, "Scratch that… his father and grandfather had _no_ _regard_ for vehicles. I remember the time James converted one of his fighters into a racing car just to prove a point."

The canvas rooftop dropped from the sky, slamming into the pavement less than twenty feet away from Slippy and Peppy. They rounded the corner of the ordinance shed, where parts of the car littered the ground on all sides of the flattened hedges. Further up ahead, the ruins of a red convertible sat only fifty feet from where the Arwings were lined up. Scrapes and gouges covered the concrete where the car had skimmed across the ground on its belly. One of the hover-pad domes had ripped off the bottom and the metal hoop from the dome rolled out over the runway.

Peppy stooped to pick up the driver's side rearview mirror then showed Slippy. They stood side by side near the ruined hedges behind the concrete shed, watching as Falco ran towards the car, chattering excitedly to the driver. Peppy sighed and handed the red object to Slippy who peered into the glass on the other side of it. The rabbit reached up to rub at his face then approached the car on Fara's side and paused. He wanted to open the door for her but she was speaking to Fox and he didn't want to interrupt her.

Once she finished speaking, Fox said something back to her and they spoke for another few seconds. Peppy turned his attention back to the rear of the vehicle and examined the damage the aft section sustained. He shook his head and walked away. "Slippy, let's go and power up the Arwings; we need to hurry. We haven't much time left. I'll give Fox hell at another time. C'mon."

* * *

_…NOW_

**Panther Caruso folded his arms, leaning back** against the wall in the operating room. His eyes shifted from left to right. He offered a quick smile then lowered his gaze again. The feline pilot lifted his left paw and ran his tongue along the onyx fur, causing it to stick together, flat against his flesh. He slid his piloting glove over his furry fingertips then lifted his gaze back to a terrified Cornerian nurse. "You're trembling, sweet girl. Why would such an alluring young lady be terrified? Mmm, you're the master of your surroundings under normal circumstances, aren't you? When there's no war and no guns… It's true, isn't it?"

The nurse sat down on a nearby chair, looking nervous. She closed her paws, sliding them behind her rump. The squirrel lowered her eyes then, in a calm voice, asked, "Why are you helping _them_?"

"You're speaking to Panther Caruso. Some people go where the money is, sugar. Ahh, you worry too much little flower. No one dies unless there is a lack of cooperation."

"You're getting _paid_ to do whatever it is you're doing? You're doing this for nothing other than money? What about personal beliefs?" She frowned, keeping her eyes averted. "You're just… a teenager."

"Yes," replied the dark-furred feline. "But just the same, I'm a soldier of fortune. This is a rather novice gig for a man of my talents. Just be glad you're not at the other end of my rifle scope." He turned to her and pointed, cocking his thumb as if pretending to shoot her with his fingertips. He made the sound of a gun with his mouth then offered a feisty growl. "A man with aim as steady as mine should have his own logo." He lifted his paw and blew imaginary smoke from his fingertip.

She blinked twice; her eyes lifted then dropped, looking him over from head to toe. "A man with your _ego_ needs his own slogan, sir. Why are you here? This is a _hospital_."

"Aren't you adorable; I bet you hear that word often, don't you?" Panther shifted his weight against the wall. "I normally take jobs where someone of importance has to lose their life. However, the money is usually in current events and, today, that means stealing something from a hospital, sweet one." He turned his attention to the commotion coming from the next room over. "Pardon me, my dear. I need to go and mediate before things get out of hand. It was a _pleasure_ to meet you."

He blew a kiss to her then walked out of the operating room and into an adjoining hallway. Cornerian forces had the lizards and marmoset squadron pinned down. Caruso strutted down the center of the hallway. He snatched one of the rectangular riot shields from a nearby lizard and lifted it, continuing forward at a casual pace. He glanced over his shoulder just in time to see the defenseless lizard take a shot in the forehead. The reptile slumped against the wall and slid to the floor, leaving a red streak against the bulkhead.

Panther shook his head, muttering beneath his breath. "Poor bastard." He continued on, approaching the nearest Cornerian soldier. The two front men fell back, leaving the one closest to Panther to fend for himself. The feline reached his free paw out towards the canine's weapon, grasped it from beneath the barrel and pushed it up with excessive force. The hot tip slammed into the dog soldier's nose, breaking it.

He then forced the weapon downwards, snatching it from the guard's grip. He turned the submachine gun around and opened fire. Hot rounds tore into the man's armored vest and he slumped to the floor, gasping for breath. Panther brought the gun behind his newly acquired shield and pushed the barrel through a small port in the front then squeezed the trigger.

His shots caught another Cornerian in the shoulder. The force of weapon discharge threw the canine off balance. The second Cornerian soldier spun about like a bottle top then collapsed on the floor, favoring his collarbone. The broad-shouldered feline kicked the weapon from the trooper's paws. He knelt down, took the soldier's side arm from the man's hip holster then tossed it over his shoulder. It clattered down the hall. He stood back up and continued further, easily piercing the Cornerian guardsmen's defenses.

"You'll never penetrate their defenses if you don't have the confidence to move forward against all odds. War is like sex in that way, don't you think?"

The Cornerian lying on the floor looked up and furrowed his brows in confusion. His eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed to a state of unconsciousness from a lack of blood. The sanguine liquid pooled beneath him, coating the floor tiles.

Panther smirked in reply. "Disgraceful." He continued down the hallway. The remaining three guards fell back, ducking into a nearby intersection. The feline cleared his throat then shouted, "Move up, Imperial forces. I can't baby sit you people all day; I have secondary objectives to complete!"

The forces moved up the hallway and the chocolate-furred feline moved towards a hall on the left. Another canine came running down the hallway only to meet Panther's shield with bone jarring force. Panther transferred the shield to an equipment hook on his back then kicked the fallen soldier in the face while passing.

He nudged open a set of double doors and stepped through them. Without missing a beat, Panther fired the rifle into the ceiling then tossed it on the floor, drawing two handguns from his hip holsters. He twirled each hand-cannon then aimed them straight outwards at forty-five degrees, left and right. "This is the laboratory, is it not? I wish for a sample of your cure to the Venom Plague that was introduced to Sector Three last night."

The researchers looked startled and afraid, bringing another smirk to Caruso's maw. "What?" asked the large cat. "Did I frighten and bewilder you?" He approached a female researcher with a slender frame and brushed the backside of his paw against her cheek. The massive pistol skirted the edge of her ear. The raccoon swallowed then nodded her head. Panther took on a semi-sorrowful expression. "Please accept my sincerest apology, darling. I would never intentionally cause such trepidation. I hope that a kiss could provide you with panacea…" He puckered his lips but she backed away. "Very well," said the feline with a grin. "It's your loss, dearest."

He cocked both weapons causing the entire group to gasp in fear. His grin broadened then he laid his right arm down on a nearby counter, palm up. "Someone administer the cure to me then give me a sample in a secure container. I'll leave you with enough to copy so you can synthesize more. If no one does anything stupid, everyone goes home tonight." He glanced over his shoulder at the raccoon female and winked at her. "And you'll see your husband, tonight." He then lowered his eyes to her trembling paws. "Don't think I didn't notice your wedding band, sweet thing. He's a lucky man to hold your affections."

Panther panned his left pistol across the room. "I'm on a time constraint; now would be an excellent time for you all to _hurry up_. For every minute that you stand there with your jaws on the floor, one of you will meet death." Suddenly the entire group of researches began to rush about. Some worked to prepare a small sample of the cure while others grabbed the supplies they would need to administer a dosage to Panther, intravenously.

Ten minutes later, Panther Caruso walked out of the hospital's rear entrance with a satisfied look on his muzzle. A simple band-aid covered his right forearm and smeared lipstick graced the collar of his armored suit. He thought back on the incident with a sly smile.

The fresh memory raced through his mind: he'd picked the rifle up from the floor and had handed it to the female raccoon before leaving. He recalled telling her to use it to protect herself from the Venom soldiers then told the group to leave through the emergency exit at the back of the hospital if they wanted to escape without resistance. At the exit door, he leaned his cheek towards her expectantly until the quivering raccoon relented to a kiss. She even had to stand on her tip-toes just to reach his neckline.

Now, on his own, the large cat took a moment to fantasize about what it would have been like to give her a kiss in return; he walked across the courtyard towards Sector Three. "She smelled delicious," he recanted with a murmur and a smile. "I bet she tasted even better." Panther continued down the path and passed a sign for Sector Three.

He shifted the weight of the riot shield, still on his back, and then approached a house at the end of Ordinance Street. Panther swiftly kicked the door in, causing the center of the entrance to collapse. The wooden frame resembled a grouping of splinters; the metal jam jingled across the tiled floor of the foyer.

He cleared his throat and announced, "The Pied Piper has come, packing powerful pistols to pick off a pack of people preaching pretext for a pitiable pardon; it's time to pay – your punishment shall be prompt. Perhaps you perceive the proposition of penance: Talking gets you _shot_. Are you all _impressed_ with my _impeccable_ _implementation_ of alliteration?" Before anyone inside could answer, he leveled both pistols and pulled each trigger several times.

He stood in the doorway, enshrouded in a wisp of gun smoke. His Cheshire grin flashed in the sunlight. Panther glanced about for some way to leave a sign of his handiwork. He spotted roses on either side of the entrance and his grin broadened further. "Perfectly priceless; petals of pure purr-fection pray to publish my prideful prattle." He licked his lips then holstered both of his weapons. He snapped several roses from the bush then carried them into the house, dispensing them onto the bodies laid out across the living room floor. "I predict that I shall perform this pairing more often." He dusted his palms together then said, "Such pure petals meet Panthers approval for his professional portfolio."

"D-do you always s-speak in… s-such a way?" The voice came from the kitchen.

Panther canted his head towards the person, tilted his head then said, "I'm afraid I don't. I was looking for something that would become my call sign but talking in such ways doesn't leave any clues if the dead can't repeat it to the living. What are you doing here?"

The hyena backed up against the refrigerator and shook his head rapidly. "I'm the gardener for sector two and three, sir!"

Panther looked down to a remaining rose in his paw then smiled slightly. "You have a passion for flora, my friend. Your roses are divine." He withdrew his pistol from his hip and, in one fluid motion, brought the gun to bear then fired it. The gardener dropped to the kitchen floor, dead. Panther approached him and tossed the last remaining rose onto his chest. "I wouldn't want to waste the last one, now would I? That would be a crime, Mister Gardener."

Caruso walked back out of the house, picked the last fully bloomed rose from the bush and fastened it to his torso armor. "I think I'm rather fond of the rose." He left the house and headed back towards the Northern section where his ship waited. "I suppose it's a shame for that poor bastard that I don't grant reprieve to just _anyone_." Of course, Panther meant that he only pardoned women from his wrathful style of execution.

He replaced the weapon in his holster and withdrew a communicator from his belt. "This is Panther; I've procured the cure to what ails you, Madam Caroline." The feline only had a special place for women of small stature with demure eyes. Caroline Oikonny didn't quite meet his standards.

"Make haste for Venom; I want you to rendezvous with a cruiser, waiting in orbit. They will make use of their jump-drive to get you here quickly. Did you meet your second objective?"

Panther continued his brisk stride towards his fighter, only a mile by foot. "I dispatched everyone at Seven-Zero-Six Ordinance Street. The Venomian traitor you spoke of was dealt with, as well as all surrounding eyewitnesses. I'll see you in six hours, Lady Oikonny." He closed the communications patch on the transceiver and hustled towards his fighter.

He approached the fighter that rested in the front yard of an abandoned house. The missing windows and scorched outer walls suggested that a battle raged at this location in the recent past. He stopped in front of the Razor Claw, its semi-reflective hull glinting in the sunlight. Two gunshots struck the riot shield on his back, causing him to pause.

Panther glanced over his shoulder at two women soldiers, armed with infantry rifles. He waved at them, using his other paw to activate the automated remote switch in his pocket. The cockpit opened and the computer booted up. He un-shouldered the shield and turned around behind it, putting his back to the fighter.

"Ladies, surly we can reach some measure of agreement."

One of the females shouted, "DROP your weapons and lay on the ground with your legs spread!"

"Oh, so very straight to the point, aren't you? Feisty; I like that. I'll spread mine if you spread yours first."

"PALMS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!" shouted the other.

"Oh, you two are just delectable." Panther began to ascend the ladder to his cockpit with one paw, using the other to hold the shield in place. They opened fire but the riot shield provided ample protection. He eased over the lip and into his cockpit then waved from behind the shield. "My name is Panther Caruso; I'm easy to find, ladies. I hope to see each of you again, very soon. Perhaps beneath the moons of Aquas; a romantic setting for me to share with the both of you at once, hmm?"

He activated the canopy switch on his dashboard then dropped the riot shield on the ground and quickly pulled his paw in before the dome glass reached the metallic ring surrounding the cockpit. Several gunshots ricocheted off the cockpit windshield and he offered both of them a kiss and a wink.

Caruso punched his throttle and the ship lifted vertically into the air. The two female soldiers stood there on the ground, shooting at the fighter until it disappeared into the sky.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

**S****oft green blades of grass** began to stand on end. Small clumps of dirt lifted from between them, levitating away from the soil, defying gravity. A fluttering electrical miasma glowed directly above the grass, drawing tiny granules of dirt upwards from intense static.

An arc of electricity reached up from the ground leaving a burnt discoloration in the grass. The powerful bolt raced upwards and met with the lightning-like arm of pure energy that came from a particle weapon of the biped tank almost a mile away.

Miyu, having seen the static discharge ahead of time, jerked the wheel away narrowly avoiding the plasmatic arc of lightning that jutted up from the ground. Dirt and weeds from the other side of the road began to stand on end and she jerked back to the left, swerving dramatically to avoid the powerful weapon. She turned her head away, avoiding the second intense white beam of light and Fara did the same. "Fara, we need to put that thing out of commission, because we can't get lucky forever."

"Especially when we're closer and the tell time is shorter." Fara shifted her weight uncomfortably then peered into the backseat where Fox's duffle and her clothes basket sat. She also took the ID card from the convertible as well as a few blasters from its trunk. Now, with the military police car loaded up, the two women sped towards Westtown in an attempt to locate Fay.

"We need a way to take those things out," said the lynx, tightening her gloved paws on the steering wheel. She cut the wheel hard to avoid another bolt of energy, causing the back end of the vehicle to fishtail. She then reached for the shoulder-mounted receiver and spoke into it. "This is Miyu Lynx; any available Cornerian forces out there? Please respond."

"Miss Lynx, this is Gunnery Sergeant Aaron Madison with the Fourth Battalion. This is a military channel." The reply caused Fara and Miyu to exchange a quick grin with one another.

Lynx mashed her thumb in on the trigger of the receiver and said, "Gunny Madison, I'm an MP stationed at Corneria Cap and we're in need of assistance. We need anti-tank support for the Biped Attack Tank on the East side of Westtown. Chief Petty Officer Fara Phoenix and I would be _very_ grateful for anything you and your crew could do for us."

A brief pause then the radio came back to life. "Acknowledged, ladies. Please stand by and, while you're at it, try and take cover until we can take that thing down. There are _three_ BAT's stomping around this sector. We're working as quickly as we can. Isn't Fara Phoenix a pilot?"

Fara cut her gaze over to Miyu, blinked in confusion then said, "Pepper wasn't kidding. I didn't think I was quite so popular… see if they can clear a path to the military warehouse in the north quadrant."

Miyu nodded then said into the radio, "We both are. Can you clear a path for us to get to the northern section of the city? We want access to the M-Class storehouse. We can give you air cover if you help us get airborne."

In an excited voice, the Gunnery Sergeant told them, "The Marines will clear you ladies a path! Stand by; we're going to create a diversion. Head to the hanger!"

"That 'fame thing' isn't so bad, Fara. After all," Miyu told her with a grin, "If they didn't know your name, they might not have been so willing to help!"

"I suppose. It just seems like a huge racket." Fara pointed back at the Battle Attack Tank, noting that it returned its attention on them. "Crap, he wants to be friends again."

"Hold on tight…!" Miyu jerked the wheel, evasively.

* * *

"**I love these** damn things!" Falco jerked on the flight yoke and tapped the right rudder pedal. The Arwing responded with an elegant rotation, halfway through a loop. "Nothing at the Academy – not one single machine – could have ever prepared me for how natural it feels to fly one of these things."

"No argument here," replied Peppy. The rabbit's ship came alongside of Falco just as the avian evened out above the base. "It looks like the bad guys are thinning out. I've checked the long-range sensors and there seems to be a fair concentration of bogies due west."

"This is our chance," said Fox over the radio. "We won't get another shot to take these things out and practice in them – at least not until they remove that quarantine status from Sector Three. Let's go have some fun and get in some practice time while we can. Besides, these things are fully prepped, loaded and ready for war. Let's use it to our advantage."

Slippy chimed in, "S-strange that someone left them prepped and armed like this."

Fox couldn't disagree. "I'm not complaining. We didn't even have a flight crew – be glad someone screwed up and left them sitting on the runway fueled, charged and armed to the teeth. We weren't supposed to have any armament on this morning's practice run because last time we weren't given the command to have weapons free."

"But maybe, because this morning's run was canceled yesterday, the flight crew left them in '_ready __status_'." Falco eased in on his controls and came into formation with the team. He punched two keys along the right side of the cockpit so that his stabilizers retracted. A small illuminated sign reading, "All Range Mode" dimmed from the monitor. A new message replaced it with, "Long Range Mode."

* * *

**The door to Fay's economy car** bent inwards so that the interior upholstery pressed against her left thigh. She jerked the wheel hard to port then winced in anticipation. The small automobile bucked violently, ejecting a scaly corpse in the rearview mirror. She watched it roll across the pavement, growing smaller and smaller in the reflective surface. Her eyes flitted back to the windshield with a frown. She winced expectantly once more.

The small car collided with a chain-link fence. Up ahead, she saw two women running across the restricted runway and recognized them both. Fay hit the gas pedal then slammed on the brakes and cut the wheel. Her little coupe swerved ninety degrees and skidded to a halt not far from where they were. She put the window down and shouted, "Goin' my way, gals?"

"Fay!" exclaimed Fara Phoenix. She circled the car and opened the passenger door then pulled the front seat forward. "Shotgun! Get in, Miyu! Still got that blaster?"

The lynx climbed into the back seat of the small car and withdrew her service pistol. Once she was in place, Fara put the seat back, withdrew her own gun and sank into the seat. She put the window down and nodded to the spaniel. "I hope you drive better than everyone else I've been with today."

"I drive opposite from the way I fly," Fay mused then stomped on the accelerator. "Hold on to your tail, girls!" She jerked the wheel to the right and headed towards the emergency runways that lined a National Guard complex nearby. "It took all morning but I've finally been given clearance to fly one of the Guard's M-Class fighters. They have half-a-dozen warplanes and no available pilots. Show them your military identification so we can all go up together."

Fara aimed her weapon through the passenger window and pulled the trigger. The blaster bucked in her palm but hit its mark in the shoulder, one hundred yards from the car. She cleared her throat and said, "After flying an Arwing, going back to an M-Class is gunna feel like an old pair of roller skates that have a busted wheel." She paused, shot another lizard then said, "Where did all these guys come from? I didn't know they gave a damn about this town."

"They showed up a few hours before attacking the Capital," said Fay. "They took the town by storm, set up shop and platform'ed their attacks on the base from right here. So, does Fox fly well?"

Miyu reached her weapon through the window, behind Fara's head and said, "He flies so good, Fara felt the need to invite him to her house last night. Oh, yeah, I got one!" she exclaimed at the end. The feline waggled her eyebrows. "I don't think anything happened between them, though."

"It didn't," replied Fara, taking out another lizard with her pistol. "We need to get to those fighters."

"Almost there," said Fay, turning the wheel of the car a little to the right. "But that place is reported to be swarming with Imperials."

"Just get us there in one piece," said Fara, pulling the trigger on her weapon again. "We'll deal with it when we arrive." She leaned back in her seat, withdrew her weapon from the window and closed the glass panel. The pilot sniffed in disdain then drew her seatbelt over her chest. An arc of plasmatic energy collided with the road nearby. Fara's eyes landed on the distant Marine contingent. They engaged the distant biped tank from the starboard flank, leaving the girls breathing room. Up ahead, the fence to the National Guard's runway came into view.

Fay's small car passed through the second chain-link fence with ease, separating several links along the section and splitting right down the middle. The fennec vixen spied several M-Class fighters further ahead, waiting in silence. Just as the spaniel predicted, the base raged in battle between the Cornerian soldiers and the Venom Imperial forces. Both sides appeared to be at a standoff, right in the courtyard between the runway and the main headquarters building.

An explosion rocked the area from off to the far right. Fara's window cracked down the middle from the concussive force of hot air. Her left ear flickered, hearing Miyu squeak, startled. The car swerved around a group of Cornerian GI's.

Fay fishtailed the small coupe and the backend knocked several Venomian soldiers off their feet. She stomped on the pedal and aimed the vehicle for the M-Class fighters lined up on the far end. She gasped. "Oh my goddess, look!"

Two pilots, attempting to board the fighters, struggled in their cockpits with an attacking enemy soldier. The lizards stood on the top rung of the ladders and some crawled up the nose of the fighter. Both pilots were pulled from their seats and thrown to the runway then executed.

"That's not happening to _us_," replied Fara with a narrowed gaze. "It looks like those war-birds are powered up and ready to fly. I see running lights along the bottom of the hull on both. Let's hurry – we need to help StarFox clear the skies and take down all three of those damn tanks!"

* * *

A/N: _This chapter was nearly finished for, like, a million years. I started re-reading through the ENTIRE Reflections __Of__ StarFox series in CHRONOLOGICAL order… and I got up to this story and said, "Hell, the chapter is nearly done… might as well finish and post it then continue reading through the rest!" _

_I PLAN TO UPDATE Reflections Of A New Generation VERY SOON. __I'm__ just reading through the series first. __We're__ talking about FIVE long stories (Well, maybe not Reflections of Peppy, __lol__), but just the same… New Gen is so dang big… and Reflections of Fox was no slouch either… In fact, I think __I've__ been making the chapters TOO long. _

_I'm__ going to work on that so the story flows better. _

_Anyhow, __Now__ it's time to begin reading the middle story – the one that started it all… Reflections of Krystal __xD_

_I've__ been working a lot this month. __I'm__ sorry it's not happened fast enough but I DO PLAN on writing the latest chapter for NEW GENERATION as soon as I finish reading through the series. __I'm__ Two-Fifths of the way there, __lmao_

_See you __guys__ soon!_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter -12-  
"_For all intents and purposes_"

**Panther Caruso's ship, the Razor Claw, sat majestically** in a spotlight. The canopy opened and he stood up. The feline glanced to the end of the hanger, watching a large battle cruiser, previously his transportation to Venom, disappear into the atmosphere. He eased over the side of his ship, too impatient to wait for a flight crew member to bring him a ladder. The large cat dropped to the deck on his feet.

"That had to suck," said another pilot in the Cornerian language.

Caruso shrugged with a nonchalant demeanor. "I've dropped from greater heights. It's of no concern."

"I meant that six hour trip from Corneria to Venom, sitting in your cockpit on their flight deck – I'd have gone crazy from boredom."

He turned to the pilot and placed his paws upon his hips. His eyes flitted over the lupine and a grin formed. "In sniper school, one learns patience; often a gunner must wait a great amount of time for the right opportunity to kill their target. Whether we wait for all eyes to be averted, or if our employer wants to make a statement by waiting until all eyes are _on_ the target… Six hours is truly nothing, so long as you're doing something you either love or something you're very good at. Needless to say…"

"You talk too much," retorted the timber wolf. "Follow me." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder.

Noting the pirate-style patch over the man's face, Panther felt compelled by curiosity to know more. "What's happened to your eye, my good sir?"

The lupine brought his thumb to the eye patch and flipped it upwards. His sunken empty socket was highlighted with a red scar-like marking above and beneath the hole. The scar was inked, highlighted as a tattoo to ensure the scar would remain gruesome as the day it took half his sight. "_Life_ happened. The lady is waiting and she pays good money – let's go."

"Fair enough." Panther cleared his throat, "But before we do – let me retrieve the canister." He unzipped his armored torso plating and removed it, then the connected pants. He threw the heavy suit over his right shoulder while reaching for a nearby ladder with his left paw. Panther wheeled the steps to his ship, carried the armored suit to the cockpit and tossed it on his seat. He reached in for a briefcase and withdrew the container then returned to the flight deck.

"You always stroll around in those duds? " asked the man with the patch on his face. He couldn't help but feel Caruso's armored suit looked like something out of a fairytale book but with a modern touch. "And was that a _flower_ stuck to the front of your armor?"

"It was," replied Caruso. "I don't care what you think – I've been criticized for less."

"It just…" He shook his head and said, "I've never seen a pansy _wear_ a pansy before." Then he said, "Dengar said he met you before – thought you were a little strange. Now I know what he meant. C'mon."

"It was a _rose_." Panther fell into step behind Wolf O'Donnell. The two walked out of the hanger and through a hallway that resembled a back alley, save for the ceiling. At the end of the hall the lupine opened a door, which led them out to a street on a deserted section of the largest military base on Venom. Caruso moved alongside of O'Donnell and asked, "Pigma Dengar? The ex-pilot of StarFox?"

"Yeah, that's the dope," said Wolf. "He's a vet, as far as logged hours in a cockpit, but the guy is an idiot. I don't know how he knows you, but it makes me question how fruity he is, because let me tell ya', buddy, _you_ take the cake."

"I'll be blunt," replied Panther. "I've been with more women than you've seen in your pornography collection, stashed beneath your mattress. Make no mistake – I'm a lady's man."

"Is that right?" retorted O'Donnell with a smirk. "That was _almost_ a clever comeback. But, you know what kind of ruined it for you?"

"Educate me."

The wolf shrugged as they continued down the block. "The fact that you've got a rose on that armored vest, sitting back in your ship. I might have lost an eye, but I sure as hell saw that goddamn flower stuck to the front of a high-dollar battle plate, designed for war. That's some fruity freakin' shi-"

"Enough!" Panther interrupted. "Your lack of class and sophistication bores me."

"I'm not trying to impress you," returned Wolf. "However, Dengar said you're known for your abilities with a gun, but that you're even _better_ in a cockpit… I'd sure like the chance to tan your hide in a dogfight at some point." He walked across a grass lot then stopped several meters from the front door of a quaint looking cabin, constructed in Cornerian architecture. "Just go inside."

"I have a very low opinion of the swine known as, _Pigma Dengar_. I don't wish to be associated with him, nor have I ever been affiliated with him. You see, he asked me to pull a job a few years ago, when I was just getting into the field. Even as an eager fifteen-year-old, I turned down his offer. He wanted to kill his current employer; some pilot in the military. After a short conversation with him, I turned down his money based on the fact that he was an idiot. I also disliked that his target was a _low priority_ family man with little to lose; it wasn't like killing a political figure – I passed on his offer. Needless to say, I have no respect for your friend."

"That makes two of us, jabber-jaws. You're keepin' the lady waiting, Mister Casanova. By the way, your fighter sucks – you should talk to the Doc about upgrading your machine."

"Just as Doctor _Emperor_ Andross Oikonny is too busy for me, I am also too busy for him at this time; I'm pleased with my current fighter." Panther walked up the steps, across a picturesque little porch and opened the front door. He stepped inside with his briefcase. It matched his current attire, a pressed sports blazer in conjunction to a button up shirt with ruby cufflinks and pinstripe pants. The platinum links of his left bracelet shimmered in the light. His clean-cut appearance was only offset by a single distinctive facial marker… Panther had a white streak of fur on one side of his muzzle.

"Mister Caruso, you've returned?" The feminine voice was far raspier than he remembered from their prior meeting.

"Indeed, Miss Caroline. Is your health declining? I thought this cure was for your husband because you were naturally resistant?"

"As it turns out… I wasn't immune – it's for us both, now. Have you administered it to yourself as well?"

"I can only hope that it works," replied Caruso. "An hour ago, I heard a news reel feed announcing the death of an infected Cornerian in Sector Three of their military base. I've never heard of someone dying _overnight_ from the Venom Plague."

"It was an engineered version of the virus – advanced stages of the disease occur in just a few hours. The virus cells go inert after a short time, leaving little trace that it was anything more than a very nasty flu combined with the Venomian Plague."

Panther frowned. "I've been given the cure," he admitted. "But if it didn't work for Andrea Bowman, I have to wonder if it will work for me."

"You said you were in Sector three, killing that Venom double agent for me… So you _have_ been in contact with the virus. You were cooped up in your ship for six hours," said Caroline. "If the cure didn't, at the very least, vaccinate you… you would be on your deathbed by now, Mister Caruso. Either the cure works for you, or you're 'one in twenty-six thousand' who are naturally immune. Now, where is it?"

"Here, madam," said Panther. He lifted the brief case and showed it to her. "Who is the bodyguard out on the front lawn?"

"Wolf O'Donnell? He's a prodigy pilot – I paid him to leave the academy and work under the table for Venom. He's a very skilled pilot – you could probably learn a lot from him. He's in charge of a mercenary squadron, flying a prototype from Andross."

"Understood," replied Caruso.

Caroline unclasped the latches on the case and opened the lid. She removed the cure and held it up in reverence. "So, Andrea died – I wonder why this didn't save her. Was she too far gone, perhaps? Or maybe they misjudged the length of time she had before death… It's difficult to say, for sure. I appreciate your efforts, Panther – this cure will ensure Andrew doesn't become an orphan.

She returned the empty briefcase and took the vial. "If you'll pardon me, I'm off to administer this to my husband and myself. Fare-thee-well, Mister Caruso."

Panther nodded politely and left through the front door. He nodded to Wolf O'Donnell then tossed his briefcase to the lupine. He brought his right paw to his left wrist, adjusting his cufflink. "I'll return to my ship, now. I have a great deal to accomplish for other employers. It appears the two apes will survive after all."

"I could care less if they live, so long as Andross keeps me on his payroll." Wolf tucked the case under his arm, satisfied to keep it for himself then nodded and walked away.

* * *

_Sixteen hours later…_

**Fara Phoenix approached a rail by the control tower window**. She grinned, seeing McCloud's team break through the atmosphere. "Fox is bringing them home, General!"

Pepper pushed a lollypop into his muzzle, thought back to the day that military dental assistant warned him against sweets then lifted his head to the window. "He has more courage than a dentist with three saber-toothed rats in the waiting room." He drew the candy from his maw and said, "You must be pretty broken up about having to stay behind while Junior saves the universe. Care for a sucker?" He waved it in his left paw as if to make the object seem more enticing.

She lifted her paws outwards in a defensive posture. "My ship was destroyed, General! And how could I eat sweets knowing that I should be out there risking my fur with the other pilots?" She sighed in frustration. The fennec turned to him with a very direct stance and asked, "I've been wondering, General. Why does everyone call Fox, '_Junior_'?"

"So you haven't heard the story about '_Fox Senior_'? Let me tell you…" Pepper watched as the formation of Arwings moved to the left, heading for the end of the runway before turning about. "His father, James McCloud, had everyone's respect around here. James brought Fox to the base as early as eleven and twelve years old… we knew the boy as a child so we always called him _Junior_. He doesn't really care for it, now that his father is dead – that was something James called him at times. You see, it all began when Vixy died and James became a single father…"

_Meanwhile… _Fox McCloud's Arwing touched down on a runway strip in Sector nine_._ The tired vulpine climbed from the canopy and blinked. A gathering of Cornerian reporters crowded about his plane. He glanced to the left and panned his gaze right. In the distance, Slippy's fighter touched down. "What's going on? What's with all the hoopla?"

"Mister McCloud," called one of the reporters. "Is it true you just finished off the Atomic Base and surrounding Venom Fleet on the other side of the asteroid belt?"

Fox opened his muzzle then blinked. "Yeah, how in the hell did you guys know? We left yesterday afternoon to take back the skies of Corneria then returned to the automated refueling hanger at the center of the base… after that, we scrambled out to the north border, took down an attack carrier, took out a rock crusher in the asteroid belt, and stopped the core base beyond it. Look, guys, we're all really tired and have been cooped up in our cockpits for a _very_ long time." He paused, glanced at a chronometer on his wrist and said, "Eighteen total hours – my team and I want to relax. We'll be returning to Papetoon soon so we can repair a dreadnaught and put it into active status. If you guys want something to print, here," he told them then lifted his paws. "Team StarFox is in business to serve the interests of Corneria where the military cannot help. Contact Fox McCloud for an estimate of rates, terms and other applicable fees."

Another journalist lifted a paw and asked, "What are your thoughts about the officer, Andrea Bowman, who died yesterday – would you like to make a statement?"

Fox quirked a brow. "Who? Was she the person from Sector Three? The quarantine?"

The reporter nodded. "There's a huge investigation – it turns out the cure to the plague does not agree with simian DNA. She died from complications; a bad reaction to the cure. It's lethal to _all_ apes – some say it was made that way on purpose to assassinate her."

McCloud blinked, tilting his head. "Why? Why would anyone go after her in the first place?"

"She's the daughter of Andross Oikonny," said another journalist. Fox's eyes widened then he frowned. The same reporter asked, "So, do you have any comment, Mister McCloud? It's not exactly a secret that James McCloud went to court as a witness in the trial that led to Andross' deportation."

"Deportation, huh? Is that what you're calling it now? Punishment… then it's an exile, now he was merely _deported_." Fox shook his head and said, "I have no comment. I didn't meet her; I don't know her and I am not concerned with her death – if she remained on Corneria, serving this planet as a member of its military, than she wasn't like her father. This is the first I've heard of it because I was up _there_," he pointed to the sky, "Risking my tail and the necks of my crew."

He ran his gloved fingers back through his headfur, sighed then stretched from muscle ache. His head lifted to the control tower to his left. As if on cue, a blast sent glass raining down from above. The reporters ducked, lifting their holo-recorders above their heads. Fox leapt from his nosecone and shoved through the crowed. "Move!" he shouted. The vulpine pilot made a beeline for the metal blast door on the front of the tower and took the stairs two at a time.

His team was only several feet behind him. He shouldered the door to the control tower and shouted, "What was that noise I heard?"

General Pepper, Fara Phoenix and the rest of the staff were standing up in the middle of the room, covered in shards of glass. Pepper removed his hat, dusted it off, replaced it over his brow then removed his aviator glasses. "Calm down, Fox. Andross dropped in via his telekinetic amplifier. Apparently, the anti-gravity carrier waves don't know how to knock."

Slippy glanced to the broken window then rubbed his forehead. He put his hands outwards and exclaimed, "If Andross can reach this f-f-far, just think what he can d-d-do to an Arwing attack v-v-Venom!"

Falco brought his right winged hand to the bottom of his beak and rubbed it thoughtfully. "We can't reach Andross unless we get to Venom."

McCloud approached Fara, dusting the glass from her shoulders. Then, feeling rather comfortable around her, he drew her close. Her paws came to his chest and she looked up at him. Fox looked into her eyes then cut his gaze to the right, towards everyone else. "There is one way he might _not_ have considered." Everyone turned to look at the vulpine pilot.

Fox, having everyone's attention, grinned and lifted his right paw, with a finger in the air. "We'll go through the black hole!" Everyone, including Fara, dropped their jaw. Their eyes widened.

* * *

**Andross closed his hands into fists**, enraged by the news. He shoved a nearby lizard to the wall then cut his gaze back to the second reptile. "What are you two babbling about?"

"Your brother and his wife are dead, Excellency! We think it may have been the cure – she arranged for a courier to bring it from Corneria!"

"Did the courier poison the antidote? Find him!"

"No!" said the lizard sandwiched between Andross and the bulkhead. "The same cure also killed your daughter, Andrea Bowman; it's in the Cornerian headlines – news of her death was leaked to the press! This-s-s antidote was a double edged sword, my liege! It appears that the beta trial is deadly to your species, Sire! I have reason to believe they had no intent to kill Bowman – they wanted her alive to use her against you! I'm sorry for the loss of your brother and his wife, Emperor! There's nothing we can do!"

Andross pivoted sharply and shifted his body weight, slamming the first lizard into the second. They both collapsed to the floor. "Caroline was _more_ than just a _loss_, you idiot! She was my advisor! Her paranormal research and clairvoyance is what helped me to become the effective leader I am! Where is her son, Andrew?"

"He's been taken into quarantine to keep him alive and safe!"

Oikonny turned away from them and growled at the back of his throat. "I wonder if he'll gain her abilities – I somehow doubt it; he's too much like his father. Since his father's absence, the boy has withdrawn quite a bit…" The Doctor turned back to the reptiles and shouted, "Is there anything else to report?"

"Our planetary parameter is under attack – just a single squadron of ships."

"Launch the counter measures. The robotic bio-weapon droid will finish this for me. I need time to grieve. Did she have any last words?"

The second reptile stood up and nodded. "I was her personal servant," he said.

Andross glowered in irritation. "I know, you fool! That's why I just asked you if she had any last words! What did she say?"

"She said this will end with gnashing of teeth and claws. She also said, 'You'll find the answers you seek outside of Lylat. What you learn must be brought back to the _lost_ civilization on the quietest, most distant planet in this system. There, you will re-cross a path with some… _girl_…and capture her. Her power will restore you.' Then she passed, Emperor."

Andross blinked. "_Re-cross_ a path? I do not know of any such girl with power. And what sort of restoration is in store for me? I know not what riddle this is…" He sighed and turned away out of frustration. "What does the girl look like?"

"All I know is that Miss Caroline referred to her as, "The blue-furred female." She also said this takes place in the distant future. I'm not sure, Emperor, perhaps Miss Caroline meant that these things will happen after you've defeated Lylat and destroyed Corneria. As far as the attack, is there anything else?"

"I should ask you the same question," Andross replied.

The two lizards looked at one another. After a few seconds, the first one blinked and said, "W-well… one of our ships, a Mantis class fighter, was stolen recently. However, we believe we may have located it."

"Oh?" Andross' head tilted. "You've located the stolen prototype? It was number 'seven' of thirty, correct?"

The reptile nodded. "We saw a brief trace show up on the chart above Eladard. When we brought one of our satellites into position, we saw a pink-painted Mantis class ship disappear into a hanger. Intelligence thinks one of the local pirates is to blame. Her name is Katherine Monroe but we have very little information on her detailed profile. We're not sure how she managed to steal one of our Mantis ships, let alone how she jammed our tracking hardware long enough to paint it pink and move to the edge of the system with it."

"It's of no concern – I've abandoned the Mantis project in favor of a new creation – the Wolfen-class fighter is _far_ superior. Make sure counter measures are in proper place. I don't want a single squadron of renegade Cornerians to get through our defenses."

"Your will shall be done, Sire!"

* * *

Two weeks later…

_**The Arwing's blasters ripped through the flat, white face. **__Its polygonal shape and glowing ruby eyes held no candle in oddity to the way it spit sheets of polarized metal plates. McCloud carefully dodged the projectiles then fired into its eyes. Several shots ricocheted off the surrounding white armored structure, but the blasts that glanced against its eyes caused it to flinch. _

_Fox's eyes widened with shock and elation. He targeted the garnet twins and opened fire, wildly mashing his thumbs down on the top of the flight controls. The face took on an expression of horror before bursting apart. At the center, a perfect cube spun on an axis; every side had a portrait of Andross leering up at him. He released a Nova bomb into the cube, blowing it apart. The base began to crumble around his ship… _

Fox McCloud sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. The groggy pilot blinked away his dream and yawned. He turned his head to the right, suddenly face to face with Fara Phoenix. Startled, his fur bristled up and his tail fluffed dramatically, lifting a portion of the blanket between his ankles. "Good grief!"

"Happy Birthday, Flyboy." Fara reached over and patted the side of his face, pushing the soft veneer of fur down along his muzzle. "You're eighteen today, right?"

Fox looked the vixen over, raking his eyes from head to toe and back. "You're still wearing mom's dress? I dreamt about that night I stole the Arwing and attacked Andross. I think I've finally figured out why I keep having that dream – he's not dead. I can feel it."

"That was – what? Two weeks ago? Relax." She cocked her head at him. "Do you remember anything about last night?"

A grin covered the pilot's face. "I remember it was sweet and turned a little romantic but I remained a gentleman."

The fennec chuckled with a nod. "That you were; after all, I'm still _wearing_ the dress. I didn't intend to fall asleep in it. I would never intentionally disrespect your mother's gown."

"It's fine," said Fox. He lifted the covers and glanced down to see what he was wearing. "Looks like I fell asleep fully dressed, too. Everything is blurry after the crape-eating contest. Did you want to see the GreatFox? It's still underground."

Fara gave him a playful shove. "You _know_ the Cornerian battle cruiser sanction is still in place. You won't be allowed anywhere near that planet with your ship, Fox. And…" She looked down in a demure way. "Last night was very sweet. You're…" She drew in a deep breath to gather her courage and said, "…A very good kisser."

"It was nice waking up next to you," he replied. He felt like he was saying everything right – ignoring the part about Corneria and focusing on where the topic turned to them as a kissing couple. "So I suppose I should make it official and ask you. Fara, will you go out with me?"

Phoenix's grin turned to a delighted smile. "Why, you mangy, flea-bitten pirate scum… _you_, Mister Fox McCloud, have got yourself a girlfriend." She wiggled out of the translucent gown and carried it over to the glass case across from his bed. "We have a lot of things to do today, Fox." The smile returned to a relaxed grin. "Remember what happened to my car, yesterday?"

"Yesterday was a wild afternoon," added McCloud with a nod of agreement. "I'm sorry, Fara – I know that was your second red convertible. I keep letting them get destroyed. I suppose we should have that replaced _again_… then we can visit the GreatFox."

As if preempting his next thought or question, she told him, "I'm a military pilot _first_. I'll fly with your team upon your request but only when available." Then, the petite vixen leaned forward and brushed her lips against his in a soft kiss. "Actually, the car wasn't destroyed – the explosion flipped it over but it's salvageable."

"That car is very rare," he added with a frown. "There was less than one hundred miles on the odometer."

Fara put her paw on his face and used her thumb and forefinger to make him smile. "Cheer up; it's only money. Besides, it's not totaled like the last one you drove." She grinned inwardly, remembering Andross' core base moving into the sky above Papetoon to finish a personal attack against Fox. Venom fired on the parade of people surrounding the replacement convertible owned by Fara, driven by Fox. The particle cannon discharge flipped the car over, leaving the team to scramble for safety. McCloud vaguely recalled saving a child from the explosion.

"I wonder if the guys are hung over," he mused thoughtfully.

"Aren't you?"

Fox shook his head. "I drank a bottle of water before bed last night…" He kicked the covers off and scooted off the lumpy uncomfortable mattress. "And on that note… I'll be in the bathroom."

She offered a giggle and said, "Yes, the car is a little scratched up – it needs to be taken to a body shop. But before we go through all of that, let's head to where you have the GreatFox buried. I'm interested in seeing your future ship."

"No arguments here," said Fox. He headed for the door, disappeared into the hallway and, a moment later, his voice floated down the hall to Fara's ears. "Hurry up, Slippy! You're not the only one, y'know. We've gotta share again, while we're here!"

Fara couldn't help but find herself both amused and charmed. Without warning, her headset communicator, sitting on a nightstand, beeped. She approached the unit and held it up by the side of her head. "Phoenix here."

"Fara," said the voice. She recognized it instantly.

"General Pepper! How's it going, John? I've just woken up; we're on Papetoon."

"This is official business, Phoenix. One of the Nova Bombs has gone missing from inventory, Chief. I'm _not_ recalling you back to the base – we're doing a formal investigation… I just wanted to make you apprised of the situation. There's little you can do but it _is_ your project, so now you know."

"…That's unfortunate, General. Keep me informed."

"I plan to, Chief." Pepper cleared his throat then added, "Scuttlebutt says you're getting close to Fox… be responsible, Fara. You're military and he's…"

"…A mercenary for hire; yes, sir. I'm aware and will remain sensible."

A sigh came over the speaker in her headset. "Does he even know that you're…?"

She interrupted him before he could finish the statement. "Sir, no sir. I also do not have encryption software on this headset, General. My status and my training are not public information to _anyone_ but _you_. I believe he's coming back down the hallway, General Pepper. Keep me posted – Phoenix out."

The door opened and Fox stepped in, looking rather relaxed now. "Were you talking to someone in here?"

Fara nodded. "Pepper called to check in. He also told me that the rumor is out… you and I, Fox. We're already an item to the public eye. How cute, don't you think?"

Fox reached his paw back behind the nape of his neck and rubbed his fingers into his fur. "…That's awkward. I hate when the public gets in people's business. I'm a little on the private side, sometimes."

The vixen offered a delighted smile. "That's just what I want out of a man. Someone who can keep to himself when a reporter starts talking to him."

McCloud grinned at her. "Someone who won't talk about his relationship to 'the rich girl' when approached by the periodical writers? Yeah, I think I can manage that. I wonder what your father thinks, if it's already a rumor…"

"Fox, he knows you're a huge celebrity sensation in the news, right now. He knows that I was in that same place not too long ago, because I was involved in a court trial, representing the 'good guys' of the military. I'm also the daughter of a spaceship magnate… So, yes, I was getting overheated under the intensity of the spotlight… he knows it's only natural for the public to want to see us paired together. All I can say is, they'll be delighted when we announce our relationship – else all the details remain private. As far as his opinion of you as my boyfriend… Relax, Fox. He's glad you 'rescued me' and so am I. He doesn't see you as a pirate – he's a reader, so he sees you as the son of a decorated military officer with a great deal of public respect. He'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you were raised by a disciplined military officer. In that respect, he'll hope you make a fine gentlefox for his little girl."

McCloud grinned. "Then he'll read further down the page and find out that I'm a mercenary for hire."

She grimaced in response. "Touché. He probably won't care too much for that aspect… but don't worry yourself about it right now. It's not like we're planning to make him a father-in-law or a grandfather."

"At least not yet," Fox said with a cheesy, playful smile. "Seriously, though, I grew up with an upstanding officer for a father, whose friends included Sergeant John Pepper, Major Peppy Hare and schmoozed with a two-star General."

Fara grinned at him and shook her head. "At least not yet, huh? You're so bad – what am I going to do with you?" She picked up a copy of yesterday's news periodical and looked at the front page. "Oh, look at that… one of the last people suspected of military treason to Corneria was tried in court." She skimmed the article and said, "Captain Shears was found innocent and reinstated to his previous rank. He's been given a research facility and staff, although his next assignment won't be handed out until next month. He has resigned with the military for an additional eight year contract. He's requested to take up research on various border worlds. As it stands, he'll spend two years on Katina, a year on Fortuna; his fourth and fifth year will be on Titania, followed by a return to Corneria at the end of his tour."

"Let's talk about something else," said Fox, sitting down besides her. "What do you want to do today? Let's start with getting something to eat."

Fara tossed the plastic board to the floor, leaving the article open so she could finish reading it at a later date. "I'm game. Afterwards, we should do something fun!"

"My sentiments exactly!" Fox grinned. "I'll have Slippy turn on the well pump so we can get some water pressure… I'm sure you're ready for a shower… ladies first, of course."

She offered a smile. "Of course! Yes, you'll make a fine boyfriend after all."

* * *

**Wolf O'Donnell closed his paw into a fist** and struck the metal bulkhead. The surface submitted to his wrath, bending inward. The pockmark, an impressive indentation, resembled an imprint of his knuckles. "I don't _want_ to fly with that loser, Doc. Flying with idiots gets good pilots killed quickly."

"Are you quite finished, Mister O'Donnell?" Andross folded his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. "McCloud may have destroyed my machine, it's true… but that machine only ran a _simulated_ version of my Telekinetic Amplifier. While I _am_ impressed that he managed to defeat it, the truth of the matter is quite simple: he and his ship served as research for your new fighter."

"Yeah, I understand that," replied the lupine. "He comes in, he tears up the place… we get data, watch him fight and now we'll beat him for sure… but _why_ do I have to fly with Andrew? The kid is still broken up that his mother and father died – I don't need that whiny sob story in my squadron."

"It's a personal favor," replied the Emperor. "You'll be training the possible future heir… he needs to know how to fight if he is to succeed me one day. Caroline had high hopes for him."

"He's become completely useless now that his parents died. He went from slowly getting better to steadily getting worse. He's a punk and a brat."

Andross snatched O'Donnell by his throat and lifted him into the air. "If you want to keep that other eye, I suggest you not speak such ways about _my_ nephew. Brat or not, he is my blood and you _will_ respect him."

Wolf knew he had no means with which to defend himself in this precarious position. He brought his paws to the ape's wrist, just to lessen the pressure against his throat. He moved his feet beneath him, but felt only open air. "I'm… open to diplomacy… Doc. I'm not closed-minded enough that I can't…" He struggled over the fist around his throat. "…compromise."

"Oh? You have terms you wish to offer to make up for assuming leadership over my ward?" Andross released the timber-wolf and brought his arms to his chest, folding them across the broad expanse of his torso. "Speak them."

Meanwhile, O'Donnell dropped to the ground in a crouch then brought a paw to his neck. He smoothed out the wrinkled collar of his clothes, trying to maintain his disposition of a 'badass'. "Anything can be settled with money, Doc."

"And how do you figure that you deserve _more_ money?"

Wolf stood up, trying to look anything other than visually shaken. He withdrew a rather sizable knife from his boot, previously out of reach, and a whetstone from his pocket. He leaned back against a wall and began sharpening it to retain some semblance of intimidating stature. "Teenage girls get paid for babysitting kids, right? Bodyguards get paid for protecting royalty, even though it's already their solemn duty. If my responsibility is to his absolute safety so that he can one day become the heir… then that's sort of like a promotion. I went from mercenary to bodyguard. Plus, I'm acting as his tutor in the art of survival on a battlefield. Now I'm his squadron leader. So if I'm taking on increased responsibilities, I should take on an increased rate of pay. And that's how I see things. Compensation – that's my compromise."

"I'll give you your pay increase," replied the dictator with a smirk. "But I'll also begin working on a bionic optical device so you can better keep an eye on him while keeping an eye on your crosshairs. I wouldn't want you to _miss_ when you're shooting at Fox McCloud."

Wolf smirked, grinding the stone along his knife's blade. "I do just fine with an eye patch."

"Hide it beneath your stupid patch if you insist on wearing that stupid thing. I'm offering you a blatant advantage over your foes – you _will_ make use of it."

"Fine, so how much loot are we talking, Doctor O.?"

Andross watched the man's face carefully to judge his reaction based on expression. "Triple."

To the ape's delight, Wolf paused and blinked his singular gaze. "…Triple?"

Oikonny nodded. "With a bonus incentive upon complete success. I've had some time on my hands lately, O'Donnell. I like your Wolfen fighter, but now that I have the data on McCloud's fight against my other creation… I've begun working on _another_ ship. I'll call it the Wolfen II. It will be far superior to its predecessor. For now, you'll continue to fly the current Wolfen. The prototype Wolfen II won't be ready right away. Regardless of its state of build, I'll expect you to use it should StarFox get too close to Venom… else those ships will remain grounded until I allow you to fly it. But trust me when I tell you… once you fly the Wolfen II, you'll never wish to fly another ship again, so long as you live. It will become your choice of fighter forever. I vow it will be _that_ good. Also, I'll design the cockpit so that you can plug your optical kit into the computer system, using wireless integration. That way, you'll see everything your ship sees. In return, I _expect_ you to ensure the survival of my 'brat', 'punk' nephew."

Wolf twirled the knife then held it downwards like a dagger. He opened his paw and the blade dropped straight into the sheath on his boot. He pushed the stone back into his pocket. "As you can see, even without depth perception, I'm pretty talented for knowing right where things are and how they line up. I'll try your little eye gadget but it stays under my eye patch. I don't want people thinking I need a handicap. So, I don't want your invention to get out – it stays a secret. I don't need a crutch – I'm just testing it for you as part of the job. As far as Andrew… I'll keep the kid alive."

"He's barely two years younger than you." Andross smirked. "You're _both_ kids, as far as I'm concerned."

"He's more of a pup than Fox McCloud, as far as _I'm_ concerned. I know Fox and I are close in age; I have ten months seniority on him, but he's still a cub in my eye."

"That just proves it," retorted Andross. "You _need_ my optical enhancer. You're obviously _blind_, O'Donnell. My machine is far superior to most pilots and its abilities crushed that of the Wolfen in every category. Yet, McCloud defeated it without struggle."

"It's better than my ship _on paper_. It was _still_ a machine," exclaimed Wolf. "It doesn't have instinct, drive or motivation. I could have beat it, too! Anyhow, this new ship you're working on sounds pretty damn snazzy – I'll try it when you're ready to test it. I hope it lives up to your promises. For now, I'd better go find your nephew and get him in the sky. I don't want him unprepared. He'd better not get me killed… _or_ Powalski. He's the only other pilot I need."

"Don't care much for Dengar?" Andross grinned in amusement. "He's a veteran pilot – he has ten times the combat experience you have."

"He's an _idiot_. I'll wager you a thousand credits that Andrew will survive him. That fat old porker is a ticking time bomb. I'm half willing to bet he'll shoot himself down."

"O'Donnell, can't you find _good_ qualities in any of your pilots?"

Wolf pushed away from the bulkhead and began to pace. "He's a greedy bastard… I actually _admire_ that about him. But he doesn't listen to my orders because he doesn't respect me. I've had to flatten his face _two times_ now, because he doesn't do anything for my squadron. He clipped Leon's ship last week – I had to hold him back from beating up your stupid pilot once we landed. I'm barely holding this crap together – for you to throw in another wildcard pilot is just _asking_ for StarFox to win. So, I want you to think about that, champ. I don't need to be on the receiving end to their stupid new bomb."

Andross chortled in spite of himself. "I've never heard you _complain_ before, O'Donnell. But to alleviate your concerns, this new ship will be idiot-proof. Even stupid pilots will be able to survive impossible odds. We finally managed to steal one of the new Nova Bombs… we did it during the victory parade on Corneria… they probably don't even know it's gone yet."

"And what does that do for _me_? Who cares?"

The dictator smirked in reply. "I'm designing the shields and armored plating on the new Wolfen II so that it won't be damaged by the blast of a Nova Bomb. You'll be impervious to damage, even if you bungling idiots clip one another in the sky. The _only_ thing that will damage you… and the damage will be _very slight_, I assure you… is a typical forward-mounted blaster gun from a fighter. But with the same barrel rolling abilities as the Arwing, you _should_ be able to evade such an attack… I hope I'm not making a foolish assumption, mercenary."

Wolf rubbed his chin for a moment, contemplating Andross' words. "All right, Doc. You've got yourself a babysitter. If your new ships can survive a Nova Bomb blast, I can guarantee those two…" he wanted to say 'slobs' but instead opted for, "_pilots_ will survive. I hope this crap works as good as you say."

* * *

A/N: _Coming next: Chapter 13: "It's just not StarFox without the GreatFox"_

_I PROMISE I will return to all my OTHER stories soon. Spy Cooper is NOT forgotten – I've just been on this ridiculous Star Fox kick, lately. I can't help it! _

_:D_

_Anyhow, I had people asking me for an update on this story while working on Reflections of Marcus McCloud, so… I thought I'd bust out a quick chapter or two for ya'. The team still has to fix up the GreatFox, then political tension will thicken. We'll learn more about Fara's 'status and training' (as mentioned near the end of Reflections of a New Generation). The squadron will find out that Andross is still alive, but the Cornerian Government will force Fox to stay away, thinking they can hold their own, now. Of, course, we all know what happens; if you've played Star Fox 64, you know that Pepper will eventually beg them to come from out of nowhere and intervene. Well there will be other adventures leading up to that, most likely. And later on, when Andross is defeated, before making a true return, Miyu and Fay will show up… they'll close ranks with StarFox and all that good stuff… Then Fox will begin his eight year 'downtime' period… neat._

_THANKS FOR READING! I appreciate you taking the time to read my work! Now, to go and finish what's left to write of Chapter 3 for Reflections of Marcus McCloud. _

_Yay!_

_-Kit_


	13. Chapter 13

* * *

Chapter -13-  
"The GreatFox"

**The massive hanger door grunted on its twin two ton hinges**. The ramped end met the subterranean floor with a resounding thud, spewing dust into the air. Two vulpine pilots ascended the ramp, leading into the flight hanger. Their footfalls echoed throughout the cavern. Fara Phoenix brought a paw to her chin, looking over a strange object encased within wood. "What, may I ask, is _that_?"

Fox McCloud drew his right paw from the center of her back and approached the metal object within its wooden confines. "Slippy refers to it as the Blue Marine, but I don't know much about it. He said it won't be long before this thing is 'ready for action' but all I can tell you is… this thing is designed to fight below water. He's still working on it."

"There's quite a bit of space in your ship, Fox." Fara panned her gaze about the large hanger. "You could fit at least six Arwings, two tanks and your mini-sub… and still have enough room to take off and land. Very impressive." She gave a slight tug at her leotard, freeing it of wrinkles. To the untrained eye, she simply seemed fidgety.

"I wish we could afford the fighters to fill the bay."

Fara placed her paw on his forearm and looked up at him. "Fox, I promised if you stayed to help General Pepper, I would invest in your team. Everyone needs financial help at the beginning – that's understandable. I'll donate five Arwings… one for each pilot and a spare for you… just in case. I'll also donate a little spending money – get yourself a small one-man attack tank. I've research them, it's necessary for a mercenary team to have its own attack tank. Space Dynamics has recently started on a new unit called the Land Master. It hovers and rolls using boosters in the belly."

Fox grinned with delight. "Now that sounds right up my alley. You can _roll_ it? You mean like a defensive roll, just to move evasively?" To his words, Fara returned an affirmative gesture. Fox's grin broadened. "Amazing."

"Get at least one for now. You may need it one day soon."

He offered her an emphatic nod. "I really appreciate your help, Fara. You can fly with us _any_ time."

"Show me the upstairs," she said, changing the subject with a demure smile. "I want to see the rest of this ship – it's gorgeous."

* * *

**A growl reverberated in the base of his throat**. Wolf O'Donnell dismounted the Wolfen Alpha ship, first of its kind, and dropped from the side to the ground. A red laser dot flitted across the cracked granite surface then a circle of them closed in around the center dot. Seconds later, a glowing green light filled the general area. A tractor beam aura brought a large wooden crate to the surface then dissipated. Wolf looked over the box and smiled. "I wonder what this old junk could fetch me." He paused to recall something that happened in the past.

Just two and a half years ago, he remembered watching as Pigma and Leon worked with a hired reptilian man to torture James McCloud. Days later, Wolf laid claim to all James' belongings and had them boxed up. He never quite figured out what the machine was inside the storage. With a grin, the youthful lupine opened the crate and looked over his find. The Little Wyvern craft sat in silence. O'Donnell opened the hatch beneath James' ship and looked over a strange cylindrical device. He picked it up and tested the weight then hefted it over the top and dropped it into the cockpit. "…I wonder what that thing is." Wolf knelt back down, beneath the fighter and peered into the hold. A diary, written on old fashion paper with ink, was stuffed in the back behind an impressive knife. He removed the knife, looked it over with a nod of appreciation and stuffed it into his belt.

Standing up straight with the diary, he glanced across the dusty foothills then opened to a random page at the center. It read, _'...because Vixy's eyes are lethal weapons when she looks at me like that. I don't think she was really affected by post-partum like some women claim – she's happier as a mother than I've seen her in ages. Not to say she was unhappy during the pregnancy; quite the opposite! Vixy loves motherhood. I'll do my best but it's hard to be AS excited over diapers and spit up. I look forward to when he is old enough to walk and talk. Yesterday, Mrs. Reinard came by with a new stroller. She's a great mother-in-law but honestly she doesn't really care for my line of work and often voices her opinion to Vixy as though it made some sort of difference. She's rather opposed to violence in general. So, of course, she had a polite-yet-snide comment to make during her visit. I think she…'_ Wolf flipped a few pages forward with a grimace.

At another random part, later in the book, he began reading halfway down the page. '_…been a while since writing but watching Fox grow up is pretty amazing. It's a shame his mother isn't here to see the boy. We were so distant for the first year and a half after she passed then, on his birthday, I took him flying. Everything changed that day. Yesterday, I took him speeder-racing. The boy is a natural on just about any vehicle but I knew a speeder would not be easy because of its weight verses his small stature. I need to sit down and teach him how to shoot but I've just not had the time lately. Either way, Fox has become quite a…'_ O'Donnell shook his head and flipped back to a page near the beginning. He wanted to know if James talked about what that object was in the fighter but from what he could tell, this diary was fully of mushy stuff.

He picked another random paragraph and began skimming the page. '_I'm lucky to have narrowly escaped a court marshal. I shouldn't have joined the military – being a mercenary has more benefits in my opinion. Oh, I don't know… like not having to have mission debriefings with that idiot in a lab coat. Andross Oikonny is, so far as I can see, a complete abomination! He's a muscle-bound ape behemoth with a degree and a fancy vocabulary. However, the Military does have a few perks… It's a stable job and the uniform helped me find Vixy Reinard. I'm still planning to propose next month, by the way. Just the same, being a mercenary was my true calling. After my tour, I'll go back to contractual obligations and hunting bounties. Actually, I've been fawning over a catalogue I found on an Officer's desk last week. I've been dreaming about a dreadnaught from which I could work. I've not yet talked about this to the pilots in my squadron but I'm really starting to trust a rabbit in the group named Peppy. The guy smokes cigars and occasionally drinks scotch – something rarely done in this day and age, but he's one hell of a pilot. Again, I'm lucky. See, two pilots were pulled from my team and Peppy was NOT one of them. I hear they're going to assign another pilot to my team soon but I've not even come up with a suitable name for it yet. Peppy said he's met the new guy – decent pilot but a little on the greedy side. Maybe I can take these guys to the mercenary lifestyle after my tour is up. It's hard to say, though… Peppy Hare is about to marry his long-time girlfriend, Vivian… I'm looking to pop the question to Vixy… Just because I dream about becoming a mercenary doesn't mean it's going to happen. Either way, I'll make sure my future kids don't go running to a military recruiter when they're eighteen. The academy? Sure… military? Eh.'_

Wolf skipped three pages and continued to read, '_…argument with Doctor Oikonny. The guy doesn't care if his stupid scanner caused my ship's instruments to act weird. I accused him of designing the machine to scramble my HUD on purpose. All he wanted was to know if the scanner worked and if I was careful with it. WHAT IDIOT would WANT to scan the SURFACE of SOLAR anyhow? And here, I thought he annoyed me most when he got into an argument with Iceman from Ghost Rider squadron. I should have cold-cocked him THEN, as it were – I could see it now… Doctor O. yammering on about the viscosity of his gelatinous experiment in the fresh waters of Aquas compared to salt water, where Iceman accidentally went… then me walking up and punching the ape right in his nose for treating pilots with such blatant disrespect. One thing keeps me from brawling with the doctor …I'm already in enough trouble with command for taking John Pepper's side against Andross in that scuffle last month. Maybe I'd better stop my hostile attitude towards the Research and Development director while I'm ahead. Needless to say, I'm amused by that rumor about him being in contact with a distant universe. I think Pepper said the planet's name was Cerinia but Andross denies it and the official investigation couldn't prove Andross may have been leaking military secrets to ANYONE, let alone someone outside of Lylat. Also, the bungling brainiac has taken a fancy to B-612. Not a lot there – three volcanoes; two active and one dormant… and, I think… there are dinosaurs. Pepper says the dinosaurs are considered sentient and that there are remains from an ancient civilization there. Interplanetary Congressional leaders will vote to officially name this planet something OTHER than B-612._' Wolf paused. "Come to think of it, the old man still does have a fascination with Sauria… Whichever." He tossed the book into the cockpit, shut the canopy used his foot to close the hatch on the belly. Finally, he closed the crate and resealed the nails using the butt of his blaster.

With a shrug, he eyed the entrance to an underground storage facility, leading deeper into the heart of Macbeth. "I suppose I should put this thing away for a few years." He withdrew a device from his own ship and pointed it at the one belonging to James. The handheld remote control caused the old fighter and its crate to levitate. A soft green beam emanated from the front of his Wolfen, guiding the crate forward.

O'Donnell carried it to the opening of the storage mine, which lined up with the nosecone of his craft. Wolf stepped through the dank entrance first then stopped at the top of what appeared to be a descending ramp. He released the button on his control pad and the tractor beam dimmed on the front of his ship. The crate lowered to the ground, just outside of the doorway. He un-shouldered a duffle bag and withdrew a tripod. On the end was a rounded mirror with a convex shape. He set it up at an angle then positioned it directly in front of the entrance, several feet above the downward sloping ramp. Wolf picked up his control panel again and mashed the button.

With a twist of a knob, the ship's tractor beam began pushing the crate forward once more. It passed through the door then brushed against the tripod. Once the beam met the reflective surface and redirected, the crate shifted direction and moved towards the east side.

Leon's words played over in O'Donnell's head. "_The McCloud family would _kill_ to have his ship." _O'Donnell snorted and stood back, watching as the crate moved towards the east end of the cavern. The cave shrank as it moved further back. Wolf watched it disappear into the recession of granite then smirked. "No one will find this damn thing as far as I'm concerned."

Wolf cleared his throat. "Not that anyone but his stupid kid is around to survive him. I'm going to kill that dumb idiot and end his stupid surname." A mild echo returned in agreement. If only Andross knew about the device in that cockpit… What Wolf, Pigma and Leon _didn't_ know is that the device now sitting in James' cockpit was the very same one that Andross was looking for. That device was the very reason why James was tortured. And now, here it was, in Wolf's possession – little did he know.

He stepped back from the crate and drew a sticky bomb from his pack. The lupine carefully unwrapped the adhesive film cover then activated the detonator. He hurled the bomb with all of his might and watched it fly into the dark. It stuck to the ceiling and blinked rhythmically.

O'Donnell walked towards the exit and began unfolding the tripod. The detonator brightly flashed twice then exploded, bringing down the ceiling. The ceiling caved in and encased the crate. He pushed the tripod and mirror into his duffle then squinted into the darkness. His singular gaze narrowed. Wolf walked back down the ramp and waved his paws, clearing a cloud of dust. He approached the nearly flat wall that dropped from what used to be the ceiling. To his dismay, part of the crate stuck out of the wall by a foot or two. He sneered with anger then stormed up the ramp and out of the cavern. O'Donnell walked back to his ship and used his blaster to target a bolder half-way up the hill. He fired and it dropped down near the door. He approached the large rounded object and heaved it into place, blocking the entrance. "Good enough," he muttered and returned to his ship.

* * *

**A feminine giggle floated through the air**. It brought a smile to Fox's muzzle and he leaned up on his elbows, watching Fara Phoenix. The vixen lay upon her stomach adjacent to Fox on a bed covered in a protective plastic wrap. She flipped to the next page of Fox McCloud's family album then looked over at her new boyfriend. He lay on his back at her side.

Smiling, the eighteen year old vulpine pilot's eyes flitted over her face. He didn't know what to say and the situation warranted some measure of communication between the two. Finally, he opened his muzzle and out came the words, "You're beautiful." He didn't even plan for it.

Her grin brightened considerably. "Thank you, Fox! That's the first time you've ever complimented me out of the blue – I appreciate it."

"I'm not real good with things like sentiment." He rolled onto his side, facing her, and propped his head up with his palm, supported by his elbow. "I mean, yeah, I know I'm stating the obvious by saying it… But I wanted to say it anyhow."

The vixen's smile, white as the season's first snowfall, shimmered in the room lighting. "I could certainly get used to this!"

Fox felt a blush creep into his cheeks. His whiskers eased back along his muzzle and his right ear flickered in a listless manner. "I, uh… yeah. You're a really great girl. We're into all the same things and you relate to me and my…"

She couldn't help but nearly fawn over how cute he was being. "…Your silliness?"

Again, McCloud felt the blood in his cheeks. "Yeah, my …that." He wanted to melt over the way she said 'silliness' because it was so feminine and he was attracted to her. "Is it possible to crush on someone, even though you're already an item?"

Phoenix eased the family photo album onto a nightstand and leaned towards him. The plastic wrap covering the mattress crinkled and protested with a soft noise. Fox blinked, realizing that she was leaning to kiss him – something he attributed to a man's job. He was supposed to be the one who leans in and kisses the girl, while the female demurely eases up into the kiss… yet Fara initiated the action, becoming the aggressor in a sense. She placed a paw on the side of his face, smoothing back the whisker strands and pressed her lips firmly to his own. She tasted like strawberries.

He could feel his toes curl and his tail fluff up; the pace of his heart quickened as well. McCloud glanced down the length of his muzzle at where his lips were joined to hers. He knew he was supposed to take the reins in this situation – it was the manly thing to do… With his head still propped, he placed his free paw on her hip and explored her back with his fingers. His fairly inexperienced touch found the nape of her neck. His fingertips sifted through her short headfur, behind her ears and moved back down from there, trying to touch.

Her right paw found his chest and she paused, breaking the kiss to peer up into his eyes. "Relax, sweetheart." She was honored to have his affections and pleased to make his heart race. At the same time, however, she wanted him to calm down because he seemed pensive and nervous to a degree. "Just let yourself fly on autopilot for a minute. Instincts – do what feels natural."

"You're bound and determined to make this work with me, aren't you?" Fox grinned then sat up. He closed his eyes and leaned into another kiss, somewhat surprising her with his forwardness. She melted into his touch and, while she longed to be embraced, she was quick to settle for his palms upon her. His left paw moved behind her head again while his right lowered, intertwining his fingers with hers.

So he was too timid to wrap his arms around her just yet… she knew she had to be a little slow with Fox… he didn't watch 'chick flicks' growing up like she did – he didn't know the comfort of warm breath and softly spoken words. These side-benefits of proximity were the little things that women enjoyed about touch. With Fox, the tactile joining was undiscovered territory. He longed to sweep her off her feet but didn't quite know how to do it.

Fara could tell he was trying hard and his desire to be tender or even passionate was pleasant. His affections warmed her heart and heated her blood. She broke the kiss again then leaned into the crook of his neck and nuzzled tenderly. She placed soft kisses against his collarbone.

"You got me," said Fox with a subtle grin. "I've fallen for you, Fara. You're stuck with me now."

"For a jolly roger mercenary, you can be a sweet man, Fox McCloud," she whispered against his neck. She knew things would continue at a linear rate until, eventually, something more passionate… she also knew it was too early in the relationship for that level of romance. She sat up a bit, kissed him one last time and told him, "I want to see your engine room, flyboy. Let's bookmark the touchy-feely stuff for later tonight." She gave his paw a tender squeeze of promise then slid out of the bed.

"Engines, huh?" Fox grinned at her. "You love the mechanical aspects of stuff, don't you? It seems like you were always interested in the plasma engines of the Arwing fighter, too."

The fennec vixen nodded several quick times, glad he was so easy going about breaking up the romantic tension. "Those NTD-FX1 plasma engines are amazing. It begs the most important question involving a small ship."

"What question is that?" replied McCloud, moving off the bed. He glanced back at the photo album then moved towards the door with Fara quick to follow.

"When you turn on your fighter, does it return the favor?" She offered a saucy wink and moved out into the hallway with him.

Fox just blinked and, in a blunt tone, told her, "You're so freakin' hot."

A delighted giggle. "Thank you, my dear dashing mercenary! Now don't go and disappoint a girl… show me your engines, buttercup." She playfully swatted at his tail as if to get him to quicken his pace.

He laughed in spite of himself; Fara put him at ease and his timidness desolved completely. "Somehow, it sounds… well, uh… sexy when you say it like that." He led her down the metallic corridor towards the aft section.

* * *

The bustling bar, alive with animated patrons, increased in noise factor. General Pepper, Peppy Hare and Vivian Hare sat together at a table in the very back. Pepper glanced over his shoulder and chuckled. "Even at the cusp of war, people find the time to enjoy themselves. Sports games, drinking… it feels like nothing has changed in the air in a place like this."

"Lowered inhibitions, John." Peppy Hare eyed someone across the room, lighting a cigar in the doorway. A touch on his forearm from Vivian brought him back to reality. He turned to his wife and smiled. "Thanks hon."

The hefty hound turned back to the two rabbits. "Are you guys getting back together?"

She shook her head at the General. "No, we're still separated. But we could never fathom a divorce. We're far too much in love." She changed the subject, turning to Peppy and said, "Lucy is going to be graduating from first grade – can you make the ceremony?"

John leaned forward, eyes wide. "Isn't she only four or five?"

Smiling, Vivian turned back to the General, nodded and told him, "She's a year ahead of her class. They're talking about having her skip to third grade… she'll be turning five in three weeks but …needless to say, she's mature for her age." She glanced back at Peppy, waiting for his confirmation.

"Yes, sweetheart. Short of a direct attack on the city, I'll be there."

Vivian returned a dubious expression. "If that happens they'll postpone the ceremony." She placed her paw atop of his and patted the backside of his knuckles. "So how is your team doing?"

"Well," said Peppy. He leaned back in the seat and tilted his head to the side. One ear folded in half at the center, the other remained standing. "Falco Lombardi needs a little work. Lots of potential and he's a gem in a dogfight but if you ask him to cover you or stay in formation or do anything other than break and attack… he's difficult to work with." Peppy paused then said, "Slippy Toad is a real asset but he's a little on the immature side. He likes to goof off and he's easily distracted. But if I'm around to keep him in line, he's great. The kid really means well and I don't like being short with him but it keeps him on track."

Pepper took a breadstick from the center of the table and asked, "Fox McCloud? Is he ready for this program?" The hound broke the breadstick into two pieces and pushed a piece into his muzzle.

"He grew up fast," said Peppy. "The boy can learn any vehicle and adapt to it. Within a short time, he'll master the machine beyond your normal pilot. He's a surprisingly quick learner with a weapon, too. He's good at multitasking and doesn't let things distract him."

John nodded and asked, "So my youthful Chief Test Pilot won't be a distraction?"

Vivian smiled and reached across the table. She patted the General's wrist and said, "The boy needs a girlfriend. She's a nice girl and his only real relationship, back in school, wasn't even a serious one. Don't you dare try and drive a wedge between those two."

John opened his muzzle but didn't say anything. After a moment, he finally found his voice. "I wouldn't dream of it. I know that Fox is like his father – doesn't like having a lot of publicity or fuss, but with a girl as wealthy as Fara, he's going to be surrounded by publicity."

Peppy shrugged. "Fox is the center of attention because he pierced the Venom front line with four small fighters – Fara doesn't factor into his newfound fame for that. Right now, they really make one another happy; I think they'll be fine."

"All right, let's talk business for a moment." Pepper peered towards the kitchen to ensure the waitress wasn't on her way yet. He turned back to Peppy and said, "I picked this place because if anyone is bugged, the crowded background noise will create too much distortion – what I'm about to tell you is confidential." He followed with another furtive glance then leaned in somewhat.

Peppy gave a tug at one of his ear stalks and said, "I'm all ears, General."

The corner of John Pepper's muzzle twitched, not quite cracking a complete smile. He drew out a lollypop from his shirt pocket but Vivian reached across the table and put her palm on his wrist to stay his paw. He dropped the candy back into his pocket and said, "We have reason to believe that there are phials of a chemical agent – maybe a virus or something else just as deadly… they're loaded in satellites and in strategic places around the area. They'll cause us grief whenever Andross decides to play his trump card. This comes from _very_ reliable sources and I want StarFox to leave the premises because your team is _my_ trump card."

Vivian opened her maw but no words came out. She tightened her paw on Pepper's sleeve for a moment then released it and sat back in the chair. Her head turned to Peppy and, in a hushed tone, she said, "I'm taking Lucy to one of the climate controlled colonies on Fichina. At least if a chemical agent is introduced on that planet, it will be too cold to survive the atmosphere outside of the domes. I… I want her to become a teacher or something – all this starfighter pilot business will get our little girl killed, Peppy."

Peppy cut his gaze to the General then turned back to his wife and placed his paws on either side of her face. "Shh, calm down – I'll help you move there _tonight_, okay? I'll pull the money out of savings and cash in on some investments then I'll put my pension in your name so you have some money for her schooling."

John cleared his throat and said, "Peppy I need you to take those boys and train them for the big one. No one knows yet, but the senate and congressional leaders have agreed to go to war against Venom. Our allies include Fortuna, Fichina, Katina and Aquas but Aquas is already overrun. It's worse than Papetoon, now." He cut his gaze to Vivian and added, "Fichina is one of the safest places to be right now. As you guys know, the way its orbital pattern is shaped, every three years, it becomes the furthest planet from Solar. That's _this_ year. Venom won't even waste the fuel to go out that far – it's not a factor to either side. I'll talk to Fara and arrange for free transportation on one of her father's ships."

"Thank you, John." Vivian turned back towards her husband and frowned. "I guess our separation will last a _little_ longer – but you ­_know_ I'll wait forever for you. Just… come home safely."

"I will," said Peppy, kissing her on the forehead. He turned back to Pepper and nodded. "We'll leave Corneria tonight. Actually, I know _just_ the place where Andross can't reach us. I'll train those boys and everything will be right as rain, sir."

Pepper tilted his head and quirked a brow. "Where?"

"We'll be on the move – I'll get set with unearthing the GreatFox first thing in the morning. In fact, I'll get started tonight after Vivian is packed and safely aboard a Phoenix star-liner. I appreciate being put in the know here… Did Corneria vote for war because of this chemical agent threat?"

"Somewhat," replied Pepper. "It's a long story and there's more information I've not told you… It's all political hogwash but, believe me, they'll be introducing it to the public very soon. I want you guys long gone by the time the announcement hits the airwaves. I have a small donation to make… I'm offering you several of our top secret Nova Bombs for your fighters. Use these bombs wisely, Peppy. Make sure you tell those boys to use bombs wisely, too."

"I will, sir – I appreciate the help. How do you plan to combat this nerve agent threat?" Peppy tilted his head, placing one arm around Vivian to offer her proximity.

"We have agents working in the field to find them all in secret. That way, if Andross pushes the 'button', so to speak, he won't make good on his threat. I'm actually _more worried_ about his invasion fleet. He's positioned himself in a clever flanking angle just beyond our reach. I predict he'll strike at Fortuna's main base to gain a larger foothold. If he can capture Fortuna, we'll be in serious trouble. With Fox the only successful pilot to strike the heart of Venom, I feel you guys may be our only hope if we can't successfully drive back Venom's initial forces. Do _not_ bring the GreatFox anywhere _near_ Corneria or her allies until I send for you… if I send for you."

"Understood, sir." Peppy stood up and stepped away from the table so his wife could step out from the booth seat. "We'll be in touch, General. I'm off to get everyone ready. Thanks again, John. I owe you a drink when all of this blows over." He turned about, coming face to face with the waitress and nodded. "I'm sorry; we won't be joining the General for dinner this evening – three menus won't be necessary." He took Vivian's paw and the two made a bee-line for the door.

Pepper glanced up at the waitress and sighed. "Bring me a pint and the porterhouse. I'm feeling lonely tonight and could use a meal fit for…" He shrugged.

The waitress offered a soft giggle and said, "…For a General! I'll bring your drink out with your meal, sir. Do you need any more breadsticks?"

"Sure, why not…" He feigned a slight smile then leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment…

* * *

**Falco, Slippy and Peppy** parked their speeder bikes at the storage facility parking lot. The normally-abandoned lot was now host to a rather large drilling machine and a rented crew. Peppy approached the foreman and shook his paw then said, "So, you're the guy who's going to dig us out, huh?" The two walked across the lot together, leaving Falco and Slippy alone.

The lanky avian pulled his dusty poncho from his shoulders, balled it up and shoved it into his saddlebags. He ran his feathery fingers over the smooth lay of a shiny vinyl jacket then jerked his head from Slippy towards the entrance door at the far end of the lot. "C'mon."

"That jacket looks t-t-totally stupid," said Toad with a smirk. He fell into step behind the taller pilot and muttered just loud enough for Falco to hear. "It looks like you're wearing a dead bovine."

"It's not leather, ya' big crybaby." They stepped into the storage facility's main office, a filthy derelict in need of remodeling. Following a pair of fresh footprints through the lobby, they headed to the stairs and emerged in a large hallway, void of illumination. Falco and Slippy carefully navigated through the dark until the area opened up, where the GreatFox sat, bathed in the amber lighting of various external flood lamps. Lights on the wingtips were also active, throwing off a brilliant red and green coloration against the side walls.

"Get the engines warmed up, frogface. We're going to break orbit _tonight_." Falco approached the lowered cargo ramp and walked into the flight hanger. "I wonder if Fox's girlfriend is going to make good on her promise to get us some fighters."

"I'm sure she will," said Slippy. "I was thinking… where are we going to get our supplies? We've not stocked this ship with food."

"Nobody ever said we didn't have a few bugs to work out but we'll eyeball things as we come across them. Stop worrying – be glad we're dipping out of the spotlight for a little while, man."

"J-j-just wondering," replied the frog with a sigh. He took a door on the left side, marked '_Engineering_', leaving Falco alone.

Lombardi cracked his knuckles and moved through the rear double doors and into a long hallway. He stretched his legs then broke into a hard sprint. Falco spread his arms outwards and leaned forward, blazing up the hallway. Near the end of the corridor, he used his feathery arms like a chute, slowing himself. He stopped in front of Fox's room and pressed a button on the doorframe. The metallic entrance slid on its tracks and Lombardi stepped inside, glancing around. He walked through the barren living room area and headed into the bedroom. The door slid open but the lights were out.

He reached for the light switch then, immediately, turned them back out after seeing Fox and Fara sprawled out on the mattress. McCloud used his tail to help cover Fara, glowering at the avian pilot. Falco coughed into his fist and said, "I thought you were asleep or something. I, uh… didn't mean to bother you but your communicator was off – I can see why, now. Anyhow, we're raising GreatFox and taking it into orbit _tonight_. It's a long story and, uh, Peppy will have all the answers but he's topside right now with a drilling crew. So, yeah… check ya later, foxie." He backed peddled from the room, careful not to trip.

Fox's voice floated through the darkness. "We're _underground_, Falco. Of _course_ my communicator didn't get reception. Besides, it's not what you think…"

Fara's voice followed that of her boyfriend. "Actually, yeah… it is. Do us a favor, Falco – can you lock the quarters on your way out? Thanks." She watched him turn about in the living room then the bedroom door slid shut.

Back out in the hallway, Falco Lombardi leaned against the wall, rubbing his eyes. "He definitely earned my respect – in bed with a cute rich girl. Okay," he glanced from left to right. "Fastest way to the engine room… let… me… see." He picked a direction at random and began walking.

Up on the surface, Peppy folded his arms, watching as the excavation crew broke the surface, drilling straight into the concrete. The large rotary drill was attached to a metal box, depositing broken asphalt, dirt and clay onto a rubber conveyer belt inside the lengthy box. Hare moved to the far end of the lot and opened his personal communicator.

Slippy Toad's grainy visual filled his small screen. "Peppy, the reception down here is really bad – what's up?"

Peppy placed his other paw against the side of his head to dampen the noise of the drill. "Polarize the hull plating, Slippy. They're starting to break through the surface – I don't want to damage the armored plates. We should be cleared to lift off in about two hours. Got it?"

"Copy that," replied the frog with a nod. "See you in a bit." The channel closed. Peppy pushed his communicator into his pocket and turned his attention back to the drilling crew out at the center of the large lot. He stole a quick glance at his watch, yawned then pushed his paws into his pockets.

* * *

A/N: _This chapter should answer a few more questions about Wolf O'Donnell in regards to Reflections of Marcus McCloud's sixth chapter. Also, now we know why StarFox had to be summoned by Pepper, as seen at the beginning of SF64. Also, now we know why Lucy winds up on Fichina, teaching by the time SF:Command came out. Turns out that Peppy's daughter is REALLY intelligent, even though she plays the demure, giggly and slightly ditzy personality during SF:Command. "Oh, my big, strong, brave Pappa." C'mon, she knows how to use her feminine wile. What daughter DOESN'T bat her lashes at daddy on occasion? Lucy is no exception and gets her way as a young adult. But, I promise you this... Lucy is very intellectual - she's an astrophysics teacher by SF:Command, so... duh. _

_I got a review the other day that asked for an update to this story so they could find out what happened… bang, here's the update. _

_For those of you who are also reading my Spy Cooper story, I WILL finish that story soon – I just want to get through a few more chapters of Reflections of Marcus McCloud because I have a lot of things on my mind for it. _

_For those of you who are curious, Fox and Fara did NOT go 'all the way' in this chapter. But they DID reach third base. Okay, now it's time to go and hammer out chapter SEVEN of Reflections of Marcus. See ya there!_

_-Kit_


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: _Long time, eh guys? For all of you who also read my Sly Cooper story, 'SPY COOPER', I promise I'll get back to it soon. I just need to find time and inspiration to do what I want for that story. I want to make it better than it has been – Lament of Carmelita was OVER THE TOP, but Spy Cooper, in my opinion, isn't matching up. So I wanna re-read it and make some slight fixes then move forward with the story in a better light… or some such._

_I'm working on a new chapter for Marcus McCloud and had the hankering to work on this chapter for Fox McCloud. Anyhow, I got over a bad cold from last week and I wanted to get some writing accomplished! Ta dah!_

_In this chapter, I also touch on how Katt Monroe came across the stolen Venom ship that she later uses as the Cat's Paw. Warning, the graphic nature of this chapter is a little on the darker side. She's forced to escape from a prison camp and it's not a wholesome adventure for her. If anything, I'm using this to show a reason as to why she's decided to transition from old gang member from Falco's youth … to the girly-girl we see in SF64. If anything, she's decided that rising out of the slums is what she must do to become who she wants to be in life. This chapter isn't JUST about Katt, though. It's a subplot! :D So, yes, the chapter is a little on the lengthy side! _

_Also, I had some PC troubles while writing this chapter and bounced between several computers to write it.. but LET'S GET TO THE CHAPTER. I'll tell you about my problems in the Author's Note following the chapter. If you're THAT interested, feel free to read it, else let's get to the reason you're here, right now… chapter 14!_

x-

Chapter -14-

"_Forged Under Fire_"

**"Naked?" Slippy Toad blinked**, turned to Falco and tilted his head. "Fox McCloud was bare-ass naked – nothing but fur, bed sheets and Fara? Are you k-kidding, F-F-Falco? That's probably the _best_ thing to happen to Fox… probably ever! I'm not just saying that because she has money. Fox and I go _way_ back through school, together. I want to see him happy with a foxy gal. I mean, c-c-c'mon, that's awesome! _She_ wasn't wearing anything, _either_?"

"As in _their clothes were on the floor_, Slippy. I nearly tripped on them, tryin' to get out of there."

Toad broke into jubilant laughter. "Far out! Go Fox!" The amphibian turned from a control panel built into the engine room wall and pulled a ball cap from his head. "Damn, I hate to say it like this but… it's really about time Fox came around with girls. Sheesh. You know it's bad when even the mentor-type, like Peppy, was trying to tell him to relax and do some casual dating all through school. …Wow, man. So Fara was strip-bare naked; did you see anything good?"

"I saw she was covered with both her tail _and_ his tail. Anyhow," Falco trailed off and shrugged at the aquatic engineer. It was time for a change of topic. "You've really got the humidity up in your bedroom. I stopped by to see if you were there, first."

"I changed those settings from _here_," replied Slippy, adding, "I told you earlier that I was coming straight to Engineering. It's like Fox says, you've g-g-got feathers for brains, sometimes. No, seriously, I'm operating the control panel," Slippy paused, pointed at the console built into the wall then continued. "I'm getting this ship ready for imminent d-d-departure, including tasks that Peppy is telling me, via communicator, while the drilling team is operating topside. Anything else you n-need?"

"No, I guess not." Falco turned about and abruptly left. After a moment of exploring the GreatFox layout, he headed back to his own quarters. Upon arrival, the door slid open and he turned on the lights. It was void of anything that made it feel like home. No posters, no belongings, no personal effects. He took his shoes off and kicked them halfway across the living room floor just to make it feel more like he belonged there.

With a frown, Lombardi approached a communication's kiosk near an ugly, plain couch. He slumped onto the sofa and sent a privately encoded message to Eladard via the wireless keyboard. After a matter of seconds, the screen in his wall illuminated rather brightly. Katherine Monroe's image filled the viewer; she tilted her head on the large, flat display and looked him over. The dyed pink locks of her fur caused the auto-correcting screen to change its contrast ratio, automatically dimming somewhat. Dark colors became crisp, lighter hues intensified. Grainy distortion in her head-fur quickly cleared, leaving a vibrant image of the woman he secretly liked.

"Heya', girl. How's the fight going?"

With a bemused look, she told him, "Out of the blue, huh? What happened? Did you break up with some broad and call me to reassure your manhood?"

"Blah, blah, blah," said Falco with a snarky smirk. "I just felt like calling you, Katt. How's tricks?"

"They'd be good if I was turning them," she returned. "I'm not a street girl, sugarplum. Besides, the Space Hot Rodders have disbanded. We're not at war with the Street Kings anymore, Falco. Imperial Venom hurt business for both sides. Our people walked away from it all, save for a handful. I'm not into that stuff any longer. In fact, it's funny you caught me, Tiger – I'm about to leave Eladard."

"Oh yeah?" The avian shifted his weight, uncomfortable on the plainly upholstered sofa. "Shoot, no more gang… That's pretty damn… just, wow. Hell, I thought you'd be a Hot Rodder 'till the day you die. Did you see me in the news?"

"Yeah," she paused then offered a weak smile. "Venom is _pissedoff_ about that. Imperial lizards have gotten rather hostile towards Cornerian races. I'm leaving Eladard. I'll put in some time on Macbeth, maybe cause Venom a few small headaches throughout the sector… then, maybe, I'll see about dropping off a friendly little protest message on Zoness or something. I know both of those planets fairly well – I'll get by just fine. Shoot, I mean, I've got some great memories of us when we took a vacation, there." She shook her head and made a dismissive gesture with her right paw. "Zoness… I swear… Now they're just dumping toxic chemicals, there. The environment is all jacked up and many of the natural beaches and island chains are starting to disappear with the rise in water level."

"I remember how hot you are in that bikini," said Falco, reminiscing the past with her. "Good god, listen to me. I sound like a douche bag. Look, stay safe… As much as you and I used to argue, it's probably for the best we don't talk any longer."

"Maybe you're right," she replied in a calm tone. "And, to answer your question… Yes, I did see you in the news, Falco." Before he could reply, she changed the subject of conversation. "I found a body kit on the black market – all I need is a Venom fighter and some pink paint. It's going to be amazing."

"You'll get yourself shot down," muttered the avian, shaking his head. "All it takes is one Venom Ace on your tail… then what?"

"My idea is sold – when I fly into a battle zone, they'll know to make way for Katt!" She offered a saucy wink then told him, "I have a foolproof plan to keep my ship from getting shot down. And, you know what? It's a _girly_ idea – it's something so unique, I plan to get it patented and I'll even make it my gimmick."

Lombardi's forehead scrunched, as if furrowing eyebrows. The Mohawk of feathers shifted somewhat, his head tilted and his arms folded across his chest. "Say what?"

"Electrical discharge that simulates metallic chaff scraps. It'll look like twinkling stars that follow my ship. The effect is, for lack of a better word, _pretty_."

"And… what the hell would you want a trail of glitter for? It makes you stand out on the battlefield, Katt."

"What does chaff do to a locking system, Tiger? Think about that for a minute, babe." She lifted her left forearm, frowned and said, "The big hand is on the top and the little number is on the bottom. I've gotta' scram or I'll miss my flight."

"Oh yeah? Where you going at six o'clock, Eladard Capital time?"

Monroe replied with a mysterious smile. "To steal a suitable ship from Bolse Station. I'll sit around at the bar until a Venom pilot is nice and drunk, then I'll make my move. If you don't hear from me for a few days, it's because I'm lying low until everything blows over. I'll need to rip the ship apart and remove the transponder before I even worry about the body kit or my sparkle idea. Hey, Tiger, keep out of trouble for a little while."

"I don't like that idea," said Falco, coming to his feet.

She glanced at her chronometer again, looked back up then smiled. "I'm on a schedule, lovebird." She terminated the channel from her end. A logo filled the screen, showing that the video uplink feed was abruptly lost.

He tossed the compact keyboard onto the sofa. "Shit." He waved his feathery hands in the air and said, "You're stubborn! You damn flirt! Fine then; you're annoying, anyway! Go and be stupid, Monroe! Whatever _you_ want!" He took a deep breath and shook his head. "Damn. I can't let some broad get under my skin like that. I'll be sappy as hell in no time at all." He turned away from the communicator and dismissed it with a flit of his hand. "Whatever." From there, he walked back out to the hallway and began searching for the quickest route to the hanger deck.

Once he found it, he retrieved a faded old lawn chair from a box of personal effects kept from the Papetoon hideout. He set up the old chair, put sunshades over his beak and sat back on the edge of the flight deck. He knew it wouldn't be long before the ship was clear of the underground storage bunker and he wanted to watch breaking through the atmosphere through a force field. Something about that seemed… _badass_.

x-

_Two hours later… Bolse Sector_

Katt Monroe looked herself over in a mirror. She sifted her fingertips through the vibrant pink fur of her face then checked the locks of platinum head-fur between her ears. No gray roots just yet. The feline despised her natural fur coloration and wanted to be as punkish as possible. Her ear flickered at the sound of tapping in the background.

Turning away from the mirror, she used the back of her paw to brush open a partially ajar bathroom stall. There, a weary looking woman slumped over on a toilet. The skunk's bloodshot eyes lifted to Katt then dropped back to the syringe in her left palm. A torn piece of dirty cloth was wrapped around the tarnished woman's right bicep with her forearm exposed. Without skipping a beat, she brought the needle to the crook in her arm, inside the elbow joint. She struggled to hold the tip still, unable to locate a usable point of entry then sighed. She glanced up at Katt again and repositioned the syringe to a spot on her right paw, between her knuckles.

A moue of intense disgust marred Katt's muzzle. "Damn, honey, if you're going to throw your life away…" To her surprise, the junkie slid from the toilet seat and fell unceremoniously upon her backside. The girl canted her head, looking up at Katt before her eyes rolled upwards. Her body went limp and she flopped to the right, held up against the wall of the bathroom stall.

A blink then a dry swallow. Katt leaned in and checked for a pulse. She abruptly jerked her paw back only to check once more. Nothing. She drew her lower lip between her teeth and held her breath. After a short moment or two, she reached down and took the syringe from the girl's left paw. "This might come in handy – you don't mind, do you?" She snatched some toilet paper and wadded it up then used it to cover the needle's tip.

Katt turned back to the mirror, breathed deeply and exhaled several times then hid the drug-filled syringe in a jacket pocket. She clinched her eyes shut, opened them wide and repeated the process. "Okay, you weren't meant to see that, Katherine," she mused aloud. "It's the Creator's way of making sure you're well prepared to get this pilot all jacked up before you steal his wings." She licked her lips then, with the needle well hidden, she left the bathroom with a renewed sense of purpose.

Monroe approached a Venom pilot near the bar and said, "Like I said, tuits, I just wanted to freshen up, doll. But I'd much rather be impressed over your ship. Why don't you show it to me?"

His use of Cornerian wasn't all that bad, although he lacked pronunciation in key places. "Fighters turn you on, kitty? Do you want me to take you up for a quick…" he paused, using his scaly right index finger to make a twirling motion, stalling to look for the right word. "…A quick _spin_, or whatever the word is?"

"You're not too drunk?" she asked with an innocent tone. She was thrilled by the prospect of having him practically hand her the controls. "Sure, I'd love to go for a joyride. A girl like me could really use some cheap thrills."

"You felines are far more attractive than the marmoset females I see on Venom from time to time." In reality, this airman was 'two sheets' to the wind. The rank odor of alcohol on his breath punctuated his slurring speech, let alone his body language. She linked arms with him and patiently followed the shuffling pilot out of the bar to Bolse Hanger. He continued to talk to her openly, influenced by liquor. "They're going to shut down this bar, soon. The whole base is going to change format. It's going to be a military outpost, soon. Then we're going to head to Corneria."

"What's on Corneria?" she asked, playing the part of the stereotypical bimbo.

The lizard cleared his throat as they walked through the hallway. His left eye peered over at her, as if leering at her build. He was unnerving to her and, in a husky drunken voice, said, "Cohabitation. Venom's race will finally be on par with Cornerian-types. It's gonna' be a beautiful thing, l-lady. Katt, was it? Monroe, like the actress? See!" His voice slurred further, exclaiming, "Monroe, like the actress! See? I know Cornerian pop culture; I _know_ stuff about Corneria. I know everything I need to know to blend in and coexist. Finally, our races will be equal and equality will be power to our people. Do you _really, really_ want to go for a joyride?"

She blinked at his sudden change of topic and said, "Yes, I _really_ want you to take me up in your plane for a joy ride, soldier-boy. Can you do loops and all that fancy stuff?"

"Sure can," he told her, adding, "But I want a kiss." They were only fifty feet from the entrance to the flight deck. He turned to her and put his scaly fingers on her arms, easing her up against the hallway bulkhead. "You smell good, mammal. Venom is a poor culture – our women aren't used to using perfume; I like it."

She pressed her back against the wall but didn't want to blow her cover. She knew she had to appear interested in him and, so, she shut her eyes and held her breath. He kept his right hand on her left arm but lowered his free hand to her hip and kissed her firmly. Were it not for the awful taste of liquor and cigarettes, she could have handled things more gracefully. Katt felt his alien tongue probing against hers… '_They even try to kiss the same as mammals,_' she thought to herself, trying to block out the disgust.

Katt broke the kiss and lifted her head, gasping for air. She played off the sudden inhale as though she were 'excited' by his advances. "I don't know if doing this in public is such a good idea. Maybe we should get up in your cockpit and fool around, hmm?"

He buried his snout against her neck and breathed deeply. "Sounds like a plan. I have a condom in my wallet," he added at the end.

She rested her chin on his forehead and crossed her eyes. Then, in a syrupy sweet voice, said, "Oh, a man who comes prepared. Lucky me, soldier-boy. Let's get to your plane." She could feel him grinding his hips against hers. Part of her felt ever so slightly pleased with the fact that she could turn on a cold-blooded reptile. However, the other half of her felt rather repulsed by his actions, his foul taste and his advances. It's as though he didn't even hear her. The lizard began nibbling on her neck, working his way down to her collarbone.

One thing was for sure – he was passionate about wanting to have sex. She gave him a pinch on his arm and said, "Are you trying to get us arrested for indecency? Let's get somewhere quiet, like your cockpit. Get us in the air and put on the autopilot and we'll do whatever you want, okay?"

"Yes, yes," he replied in a muffled tone against the fur tuft where her v-cut shirt collar showed a bit of her cleavage. She put a paw on the back of his head to humor him then gently tried to guide his head back upwards.

"Slow down, soldier-boy. We're in public." She wanted nothing more than to get into the fighter and out into space. "You're misbehaving – stop grinding your hips; I feel how turned on you are, let's go somewhere private, hon."

The lizard finally lifted his head, much to her satisfaction, only to kiss her again. The taste of alcohol and smoke made her stomach churn. Without hesitation, she reacted with an instinctual knee buried between his thighs. The reptile pilot dropped to the ground, gasping for air.

Monroe tossed her vanilla locks over a shoulder and huffed. "You had to do things the hard way, didn't you?" She reached down and took the starter chip from his pocket. She pondered jamming the syringe into his skin and mashing down on the plunger but plugging him in public would have been wasting precious moments. He was sprawled out on the floor, stunned from the knee to his groin. For now, she decided to hurry and leapt over his writhing form.

Rushing into the flight deck, she glanced down at the keychain attached to his starter key. The square key had a Venom logo emblazoned on the top and bottom. She saw a numerical marking on the keychain tag and matched it up with the equal integer painted on the nosecone of a Venom fighter. She couldn't tell what number it was and she couldn't remember what value it held. However, what she'd learned back on the streets of Eladard, she knew it was a numerical marking.

On her way to the plane, she put her paws on a rolling ladder and pushed it across the deck until it was lined up with the canopy. Quite suddenly, something struck her across the back of her head. Katt tumbled forward, hitting her chin on a corrugated metal step.

A strong scaly hand grasped her shoulder. "Theft of a Venom fighter is prohibited by planetary law. Ever been arrested before, lady?" He drew her back then thrust her body forward, so that she met the metal step again. "Are you ready to go to jail?" His rhetorical question went unanswered. "You stupid mammalian broad. All right, where's your identification?" He yanked her up and shoved her on the flight deck, kneeling on her back. The guard patted her down then announced, "Well now, dear! That's a syringe! Dirty little hooker girl, huh? I'll tell you what… I'm going to let you keep your drugs – I don't have time to mess with 'illicit substance' paperwork. I'm just going to send you straight to Venom and guess what? They don't separate criminals by gender where _you're_ going, sweetheart."

Dazed, Katt rolled over beneath him, getting one arm free. She took a swipe at him with her claws extended but he grabbed her wrist, keeping his knees on her torso. "Oh, good girl… you'll need those claws to defend yourself, Cornerian."

"I'm from Eladard," she exclaimed.

The guard shrugged unsympathetically and pinned her arm to the flight deck then backhanded her with his other fist. "I'll take these," he added, snatching the ignition chip and keychain from her. "Stop resisting arrest before you wake up with a _serious _headache." He pocketed the keys then pulled her wrists together and fetched a pair of handcuffs.

As soon as he secured the shackles, she jerked both of her wrists up into the air, catching him beneath the jaw. His head jerked backwards and he landed on his back. She sat up then immediately drove her knee into his chin, reaching for his pockets to retrieve the ignition key.

Her paws worked together to empty his pocket until she found the keychain with the chip on a ring. "Don't screw with me," she muttered under her breath. She added force against his throat, pinning him to the deck with her knee. Then, she began to stand up, using the metal links of her handcuffs to strangle him. From all the excitement, she didn't consider how calm the reptilian guard was acting…

He reached down to the stunner on his belt, drew it from the clip and jabbed it into her hip then squeezed the trigger. Katt Monroe's eyes widened and she screamed, although the intense electricity that coursed through her body soon caused the muscles in her throat to constrict. The scream ended abruptly. However, he continued to grind the stunner against her hip.

He sat up then drew away the handheld electric prod. Before she could recover from the shock, he head butted her in the face. Katt went down and out like a broken light bulb. Her body flopped back, half propped by the first step of the nearby flight ladder. At the end of the hanger, a secondary group of guards rushed into the room with their shock-prod sticks in the air.

With Monroe already subdued, they simply crowded around her, making sure she was completely secure. The first guard reattached his stunner on the utility belt he wore. "Get her out of here! She's going straight to Venom! She gets no trial; I caught her attempting to steal a military fighter, plus assault of a military guard. Get her planet-side right away!"

"Aye, Major!" cried one of the guards. "There is a transporter leaving in ten minutes!"

"Excellent," shouted the injured guard. "Get her on that ship!" He retrieved the keys from her and shoved her limp body towards the other men. "Hurry – just send her to Level Ten!"

"Level _Ten_, Major? It's a _zoo_ down there!"

The glowering guard balled his hands into fists. "You heard me! Tell the transporter security staff that the paperwork will be late; send her with the Level Ten group! Let her live in a zoo, for all I care!" He stood up and got his wits about him, watching as the other guards carried Katt Monroe across the flight deck towards a transporter ship near the main bay doors.

x-

**Sunlight filtered in through metal bars** and the smell of rust, sewage and rotten food lingered at the edge of her consciousness. Katt groaned, waking to a horrible headache as promised. Her joints hurt and her pants felt wet. She sat up and glanced down at her wrists, bare of restraints. Next, she reached down the front of her pants to check herself. Upon removal of her paw, she noted blood on the padded tip of her finger. "Traitor." She cursed her body's cycle under her breath. "You could have waited until a more opportune time." She took a deep breath to clear her head and murmured, "Has it been a month already?" Embarrassment was equally unbecoming of a lady and, so, she knew she had to suck it up and take the hand of cards life dealt her.

The street-savvy pilot glanced up at the dusky rays filtering in through the window bars then cut her gaze to the other end of her cell. A gate was wide open with a dark, foreboding corridor on the other side. She patted herself down – the syringe was still in her jacket pocket. She stood up and rubbed her forearms from where the tight handcuffs clinched her wrists up until recently.

Katt's eyes landed on a dingy looking toilet and sink in the corner of her holding pen. She approached the open cell door and walked out into the hallway. Other cells also had unsecure gates but the cots had blankets, looking as though they were recently used. She continued through the dark hall until it opened into a large concrete room. Her stomach iced over at the display of debauchery around her. The guard didn't lie; criminals of both gender persuasions filled the main hall. Two males were ganging up on a woman at the southeastern corner. Cells lined the walls, all of which were open. In one of them, lounging on a cot, there was another woman but this one looked as though she was in control. Several other inmates, both male and female, were pooled at her feet. Most of them were either unconscious or remained silent and still like stone sentries.

Directly across the massive hall, in another open cell, there was a man dressed in dirty women's clothing. He looked to be of the simian persuasion. The lanky ape wore a sundress that resembled little more than rags. He had a bandanna tied around his right arm with patches of missing fur on his wrist and upper forearm where needle trails lined the flesh. From far across the hall, he made eye contact with Katt then knelt down on the edge of a cot. A reptile approached him from behind, lifting the dingy sundress. She quickly looked away. "So this is prison."

In the middle of the hall, there was a large group of mostly male inmates, cheering and clapping. The circle was tightly huddled around something that she couldn't see from her position. Even amidst the distraction of disgusting stench, the group of people managed to capture her attention for a moment.

A strung out scrawny boy, no less than fifteen, lay in a corner near where she entered the large room. She looked him over and decided he was too high to be dangerous. Katt knelt beside him and asked, "What's going on over in that circle of people?"

"Fight to the death," wheezed the boyish lizard. "Two people take off their shirts and tie their right wrists together. They're given a shank and stand at arm's length from one another. It's a fight to the death. The winner gets a night of affections with the Mistress."

Monroe blinked. "Who is that?"

The scrawny reptile coughed up a bit of blood then lifted his right scaly hand, pointing an index claw towards the dirty woman in one of the cells. She was still lounging on a cot with various people pooled on the floor around her ankles with a look of control in her eyes. "No one bothers her because she knows how to cook up the cocktail."

"What's the cocktail?" asked Katt. To her dismay, the boy pushed up a sleeve and offered a weak smile.

"Release from the misery," he told her in a soft voice, motioning to the trails on his forearm. "Not everyone uses it but those who do outnumber those who don't. No one bothers her because people are very protective of her. She's had her eye on you since the guards dragged you in here, early this morning. Have you eaten anything? Do you have any food left in your cell?"

"No, not at all, why?"

He frowned. "I guess someone took the food from your cell while you were asleep. Did anyone have their way with your body while you were unconscious?"

Katt's eyes widened. "Pardon? I don't believe so – I… They would do that?"

"Why wouldn't they?" He offered a lazy half-smile. "Unless you're 'unavailable' for a few days out of the month, you're fair game."

"Excuse me?" she asked, incredulous and appalled. "Forgive me for asking, but how would that stop a thug from doing such a thing to an unconscious female?"

"Don't know much about female reptiles, do you? Lizard women don't bleed like that. Since this place is mostly reptilian, we find it gross and abnormal. So, around here, when mammal females have that happen, they'll stain some cloth and tie it to their cell bars to keep everyone away. It's a one-week reprieve from being used as a toilet, day in and day out. I'm no less guilty of it… a guy gets lonely in a place like this."

Katt gawked at the boy. "How high are you, right now?"

"I am _seriously blitzed_, lady." He offered another crooked yet friendly smile. "I told you, it's the only escape from this place. Even the guards don't give a damn about this hellhole. I wouldn't cross one, though. When they come in here and say, 'lights out' you're best bet is to get into your cell and wait for the door to be shut."

She put her paws on her hips for a moment. "Why? Death by gunfire sounds better than what you're apparently used to."

"Death!" The boy started laughing. "I _wish_ it was death! If you misbehave, they shoot a dart in you then take your convulsing body to the lab. The experiments they do… Biological experiments, lady… Let's just say that death would be _much_ better. Then you become fodder and they throw you away by using you as chow to a Monarch Dodora. Not just any Dodora, either… one they're doing mutation experiments on… it has _two_ heads and will tear you into shreds while trying to eat you. Several times a week, we line up at the windows and watch the show – it's the highlight! If everyone here behaves, people from other wings of the complex are fed to that thing instead."

Her eyes flitted over his youthful appearance. He wasn't too much younger than her but she could tell he was, at the very least, still a minor. "You're very intelligent, I can tell. You're articulate and well spoken, especially in your Cornerian dialect. Why are you here?"

"I don't like Andross Oikonny. Our people should not live under a dictator and, so, they labeled me… what was the word? It's a Cornerian term…" He lifted his head and she could see how thin and frail his neck was. He blinked then, abruptly, said, "Radical. I'm a _radical_. Whatever. I call it a 'protestor' but I was sentenced as an extremist, a terrorist – an enemy of the state. My own people hated me and spit on me. And, now, I lay here in the corner for most of the day, just watching these idiots. I shoot up to escape and I eat three times a week. Sometimes, I imagine what it would be like for Cornerian forces to destroy Venom."

Katt shook her head slowly. "Is there a way to escape?"

"It's encouraged," said the boy. "If you're clever, you can take down the guard who brings you food. Then, you could use his weapons to take down the guards that have each wing locked down. You could easily leave this penitentiary but there is a 'catch', lady… nighttime is the only time when the staff is small enough to escape… but they allow the Dodora to roam the grounds at night… We occasionally wake up and watch escapee candidates make a run for it… just because watching them get eaten is our only means of entertainment."

She furrowed her brows and her eyes widened. "Disgusting!" Her voice was barely above a whisper. "What about the half-handful of mammalian males I saw walking around here? Do they force themselves on females who are menstruating?"

"I'm unfamiliar with that word," he said.

Katt groaned. "When they're… y'know… 'unavailable' for a week."

He shrugged. "I'm sure it's happened at some point, but I don't recall hearing of it since I arrived. I've been here for two years." Then he lifted his head again, looking up at her. His pupils were fully dilated. "Why, are you?"

She smirked, suddenly glad for waking up during her cycle. "Yeah. Real _bad_, too. Seriously, I'm just a stuck pig, buddy." She knew she had to keep him disinterested in her body, in order to stay safe. "Yeah, you wouldn't really like Cornerian women. Some females only bleed when they're in heat. But for some, it's the exact opposite. Me? I've not been in heat for two straight seasons. I take a prescription medication that represses it – free stuff from the Eladard health clinic… a place for street bums, like myself."

The young man looked her over again and blinked with a questioning gaze. "You don't look like a street bum. You're the cleanest one in here."

"I lived as part of a street gang," she explained. "Eladard looks at me as street scum. Trust me, I've not only lived in the slums for a little while, I've worked my tail off to ascend from poverty to lower-class living. In my financial prime, I slept on a real _bed_ and worked my way up the ranks of the street gang until I had a roof over my head _every_ night."

"Good for you," he replied. "Now you're here. Unless you know how to cook the drugs we use here, you're not going to be the alpha female of _this_ house, lady."

"What are they made of?" Katt folded her arms across her chest in an attempt to look defiant. "And, back to escaping, if I make it past the dragon… where would one such as myself want to go?"

He answered her first question with a slight yawn. "The drugs come from the food we eat," said the reptile. "That's why some of us _don't_ eat. We'd rather have the drugs than the meal; it tastes like crap, anyhow. Trust me, the slop they give us has wonderful uses when cooked the right way and mixed with the right chemical substance – something we have smuggled into the facility."

She patted her jacket pocket, feeling the lump of the syringe and fistful of toilet paper. "Yeah? That's an interesting way to get your daily nutrition. I take it you guys are, to some extent, eating intravenously, then. What's the stuff doing to you?"

"It opens your _mind_," he replied. "So far as your second question… if you can escape, you'll find that we're located next to an airfield. It's night and there's a two-headed dragon imported from the tropical region of Fortuna. It _will_ eat you. Security detail is low because most available men are being groomed to fly so they can be added to the space force. Let's recap: fire-breathing, man-eating mutated dragon. Stay here. Unless you're _insane_… then, by all means, go out there and get yourself eaten."

"Insanity," she began, "Is the act of doing the exact same thing over and over, expecting a different result, Tiger. Are you healthy enough to run or are you going to stay here and waste away?"

"I'm the first person you spoke to since waking up… why would you want to be friends with me?" He cocked his head at her and said, "I'm healthy enough to pin you down and relieve my loneliness and, believe me, you wouldn't be able to wiggle away." He lifted a frail arm and rubbed the side of his face. "I'm so high right now… I don't feel like moving."

Katt crept closer to him and brandished her claws in his face. "I see you don't have any other Cornerian felines here. Here's a quick lesson in races… Felines have claws. I'll tear out your intestines. So, reptiles find blood to be gross? Guess what… you'll be eating your own entrails. So, if you ever decide you want to go for the 'cleanest girl in the pen,' I suggest that you don't. As far as my offer of friendship? Any enemy of Andross Oikonny is on the same side as _me_. Listen to you… even doped up, you're holding intelligent conversation."

"I never said blood is gross," he replied, adding, "I've eaten part of an inmate, once. It's natural instincts to survive – I'm not really ashamed. It's not much of a turn on, though. It's just… it's different. It's like …it's just not done, okay? In fact, you're making me ill by thinking about it."

Katt realized that she just secured her safety and decided to seal the deal by driving her point home. She recalled his snarky little comment about 'relieving himself' on her body, just a few minutes ago and she wanted to make sure that he would _never_ have the motivation to try and take her.

She tilted her head and, in an effort to ruin his desire to ever mate with a Cornerian female, said, "Oh, really? Ever try to deal with it running down your thigh? The fur all clumped and matted, wishing you hadn't worn white pants? Cornerian women aren't grossed out by it; it's something they have to deal with every so often and it's a fact of life. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, I'm _glad_. Check it out, lizard boy… it usually lasts a week and today is _day one_. If that's the only reason no one molested me in my sleep then… believe me… I'm _glad_ it started today. It's also a girl's best friend because it tells her she's not pregnant. You're probably not old enough to understand the concept of a 'pregnancy scare', but having a period can be a lifesaver. If you're that 'squicked out' by a little body fluid, believe me I'm _pleased_. Besides, I'll have escaped and be gone before it goes away so get used to the idea of…"

"Shut up," he whined. "It _is_ gross. You're gross and it's unbecoming of a female to even mention it. It's bad enough that women cycle around each other and, for a week and a half, they're all airing dirty red rags in their cells to keep the men out of their pants. You don't need to _brag_ about natural biological phenomena like that, okay?" He took a deep breath then lay back against the corner wall. "And I won't help you escape. I'm only in here for one more year then I get moved to a normal jail. If they weren't overflowing, I wouldn't have to be _here_, now, either. We're behind in building facilities for criminals because production of war machines takes precedence. Take your gross, squishy female body parts and go bother someone else."

A smile graced her muzzle. "Who else is locked up, here, for their opposition to Andross?"

"The woman who makes the drugs." He half-waved towards the cell across the hall, which housed The Mistress. "She was a chemist for 'Emperor Oikonny' until, one day, she upset him. She spoke out against one of his biological experiments and they butted heads. Now she's here. If you upset her, she'll go a full day without making a batch… so don't upset her… or those who are loyal to her will rip you apart."

"Noted." Katt nodded and folded her arms. "Everyone else is loyal to Oikonny? Those aren't very good odds in my favor. Now that we've touched on every unclean topic known to existence, from rape to drug use to mutilation at the beheadst of a multi-headed dragon, political preference… all the way to female hygiene… I really feel like we've got some sort of trust bond here. I'm leaving alive. Even if I have to get the damn dragon high on drugs just to get away… are you with me?"

The young lizard lifted his head, somewhat. "You're on your own," he said with a shrug. "One thing about my people that you should know… They don't let you slip through the cracks of the system, forgotten. When it's my turn to get out, I'll be moved to a proper facility or set free. I can live off of three large meals a week because I spread them out. No, I don't 'eat' through these booster shots because the nutrients are cooked away. However, I do what I have to do to survive. And one day, Venom will become 'Edena' once more."

"Edena? Venom was once called 'Edena'? I don't understand."

"Most don't," he said then leaned back against the wall again and closed his eyes. "Good luck getting out. Wait until the evening meal is served before you run. Oh, and the Dodora cannot see what does not move. Its sense of smell is lacking because its prey always runs away from it… when you're a fire-breathing dragon, most everything fears you… Just stay still but try not to let it squash you." After a short pause, he added, "Nice knowing you, lady. I'm not going with you and if you're still here in a week… I might visit you in your cell against your wishes, so… just leave now, before you get a low opinion of me. A man can't be held accountable for acts of desperation in times reflecting that state of mind."

"Poetic excuse, boy. Does anyone else speak Cornerian, here?"

"A third of us make due well enough, having so many mammals amongst us." Again, a contorted grin marred his scaly face. "Enjoy your death. Remember that I told you so just as the dragon's jaw clamps down on you; his serrated teeth rending asunder your flesh and fur, slicing through your body with thousands of pounds per square inch in force." Once more, his words gave her the feeling that he was unusually educated, as many 'radical' protestors often were.

With a sly little smile, Katt stood up and told him, "I'll be out of here tonight, Tiger. I won't be coming back, either. I'm sorry you're so stubborn – but do yourself a favor and remember my words: When you leave this place, your acts of desperation won't necessarily follow you. You're a thinker and if you play your cards right, you'll lead yourself to great things. What's your name?"

"Marrek."

She had a good feeling about him for some reason. "Look me up when you get out – you can still help the people of Venom when Corneria crushes Andross at the end of this war. Trust me."

x-

**Meanwhile, elsewhere on Venom,** Andross Oikonny leaned back in his chair at his office desk outside of the lab. "I would prefer the base on Fortuna, not Fichina. However, let information leak that we'll be planting a bomb on Fortuna, and we'll bomb their frost-bitten outpost on Fichina as a diversion. The disinformation would do us well." He closed a communicator and stretched.

After a moment he swiveled in his chair and turned to a console built into a wheeled cart by his desk. He lifted a translation device and opened a communication channel. A logo filled the screen momentarily, followed by a man in a slick business suit. He lifted a translator earpiece to the side of his head and said, "How goes your war against the invaders, Lord Andross?"

"Devon," said the ape in a soft, polite voice, "I have the information on your ancestors, of which you asked."

"What is it you're calling the planet? 'B' …something with a number?"

Oikonny shook his head. "Never mind that, Devon. You were right – the Krazoa people from that planet are, in fact, your direct descendants. Your race didn't die out – it fled to a new system and I've been utilizing some of the technology I've found there. The only thing left on that planet now is a plethora of dinosaurs. I'm glad that the Kew are the descendants of Krazoa because I have many questions about how to use the technology from that planet to extend my natural lifespan. The statues with the large masks were respiration units because, at the time your race fled that world, it was overrun by pollution. But before leaving, your race utilized advanced technology to excel the planet's healing process. In fact, this technology is so advanced, its properties border on 'magic'. I'm still analyzing the ruins of the temples and majestic strongholds. The fact that some of those structures are still standing after this long… it's unthinkable. Your ancestor's understanding of structural technology is beyond the imagination."

"I look forward to seeing what you've found, Lord Andross. I fear it is possible that you may eventually come across one of our neighboring systems while expanding your learning of this galaxy. The planet known as Cerinia in the next system over… they are a race of telepaths and we're currently at odds against them. There is no war, but there is tension. We've come up with a way to block their ability to read our minds and I'm offering you our new technology in advance, should you ever come up against Cerinia. They're an otherwise cultured people with a beautiful home-world."

The dictator offered a curt nod then folded his hands. "Our second star, Solar, which orbits Lylat's sun, has a power source I'm interested in understanding. I've been looking at my intergalactic charts and noted that the star in which Cerinia orbits… has identical properties to Solar. I would like the chance to study their star, as it's at the center of their system, where as Solar orbits Lylat at the outer edges. I'm not sure why two identical masses, their central sun and our secondary star, would have such a difference – a natural phenomenon, indeed. In the near future, would I be allowed to travel to Cerinia and its star?"

"You'll certainly want our help in protecting your mind from being read by these people before going there," said the man. "…I've received your attached sub-space data burst transmission, Lord Andross. I'm looking forward to reading your report on our planet of origin – I'll contact you again, soon."

"I understand," said Andross. "I would be excited to read about my heritage, too. Enjoy, Devon – I'm glad I can help to strengthen our interplanetary relationship. As far as my 'war', Corneria must be stopped. Their power-trip advances are growing and their insanity must end. Fare well, Devon."

The man nodded to Andross then closed the channel from Kew's end. An image of the Krazoa System, where Kew was located, filled the screen. After a matter of several seconds, it disappeared. The doctor leaned back in his chair again, looking at an image file for the dinosaur planet from where the Krazoan ancestors originated. "Watchers and magicians… those fools are nothing special… but they are the key to understanding what I've found on that empty jungle rock, here in the Lylat system." He placed a hand on a nearby recording device and turned it off.

A holographic visual appeared above his desk. A clean-cut marmoset in uniform saluted then rushed into a verbal report. "My liege, there was a fire at the prison – we think a Venom fighter was stolen, possibly by whoever stole the fighter. It's under investigation as we speak."

"How did the prisoner get passed the Dodora? Anything special?"

"We're not sure," said the man. "We found an evening guard face down, dead from an overdose of illegal drugs. I'm not sure what he was on – we've not yet received the results of the toxicology report, but it's far more dangerous than what the inmates have been hooking themselves on. He was face down in the cell belonging to the newest inmate and she's nowhere to be found."

"She?"

"We don't even have her name or information. She was arrested from Bolse last night. I believe she seduced then injured a pilot in an attempt to steal his fighter but was arrested during the attempt. We believe she may have been successful in escaping from our maximum security facility."

Andross shrugged. "And you said there's a fighter missing from your inventory? That makes her the most likely suspect… hmm. What kind of fighter?"

"Nothing from our secret labs," replied the man on the communication screen. "It was a run-of-the-mill disc-shaped fighter. She most likely took the fighter in order to fly home to Corneria or one of its many ally worlds."

"Quite so, it is a likely possibility," replied the dictator. "Forward me the streamlined surveillance video footage. I want to watch her escape, see how she does it and study her method for getting passed my Dodora dragon. I want to watch this as though it was happening right now. Find the necessary footages from every surveillance angle; attach all the files together, as soon as possible."

"Aye," replied the man, cutting the channel.

In a matter of minutes, Andross' computer chimed. He touched the screen and opened an application to view the first file. At first, he fast-forwarded through the footage, watching at a high rate of speed as a pink feline used a structure fire to distract the Dodora dragon. She moved to a far end of the courtyard and let the security and emergency response personnel distract the beast. While its attention was focused on the hustle and bustle of the main building, the pink feline crept across the courtyard. She scaled the wall, most likely using her claws, and wiggled between where the top of the concrete wall and a set of laser bars used to kept the Dodora from escaping its pen. Andross gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath. "Clever girl," he murmured, watching as an Imperial fighter rose from beyond the wall and disappeared from the footage. The tape continued in a display of chaos and discord, showing an angry Dodora and a nervous group of firefighters.

He rewound the tape and, this time, played it back at normal speed, cuing it up on hard drive to play the slow-motion version next.

x-

_Liner Notes__: The Fortuna in StarFox 64 was supposed to be the ice world of Fichina. It was a typo because the first Star Fox, for the SNES, had a Fortuna and… so… yeah. Woops. Anyhow, in the Japanese version of SF: Command, Kew is located in the 'Krazoa' system. Coincidence? Not anymore :D_

_Also, according to the Japanese version of SF64, I understand that there's a paragraph wording Lylat being named so after its central star. So, it's sun is named 'Lylat', Venom is the closest planet, Corneria is the fourth planet in the system. Venom was once called Edena by its people but the first culture hurt the ecosystem. The waters became polluted and, slowly but surely, the Anglar people evolved and adapted. When Andross arrives, he finds the civilization's ruins and a poverty stricken population of illiterate reptiles who can't do very much. Of course, he drives the planet further into a state of pollution but, on the back burner, is working on a way to repair the ecosystem rapidly (Which is never deployed – he disappears first and the machine winds up on Titania, as Star Fox finds in SF: Command). So the plot thickens (and gets more complicated with Nintendo changing the canon line by adding conflicting stuff with every game release. Why do they do that to every franchise except for Metroid? We'll never know!) and my story gets more confusing! However, I'm doing my best to glue it all together while not completely omitting anything major. _

_x-_

_A/N:__ Story time! _

_Okay, so… for those of you who keep up with my personal life for one reason or another, (especially since, like, I so freely talk about it that some readers actually give a damn and read my LJ, my Author Notes, etc…) here is a quick short story for you! I had a lot of computer trouble while writing this chapter. _

_If you read my FFnet profile page, you'll know I've been using an old Macintosh notebook, which happens to be 3 and a half years old. It's a G4 power pc running at thirteen hundred mhz of speed (one point three GHZ for the un-tech savvy people). Anyway, my iBook G4 had a little accident, about halfway through this chapter. Built in April 2005, it had a lot of mileage on it. In consideration that it was used as a business notebook before being sold to the computer store from where I bought it; I have to be fairly understanding over this… So yeah, the FAN DIED… I was writing this chapter and really in the zone at the time. Then, after about 2 hours straight, without the fan coming on, it seized. Luckily, even though it crashed, Microsoft Office managed to recover the file right to the letter. I got back in, saved the file and quickly transported it to a flash drive… just in time for the computer to lock up again from heat. The next morning, the iBook G4 still crashed, but now it would lock up during the boot sequence. Neat, huh? I'm not sure if a thermal sensor was damaged or if the heat corrupted a file on the hard drive or WHAT… but I do believe that the hard drive and its files are actually FINE. Why? Because it doesn't crash the same way at the same time... so I can access my files when it's in the mood to let me. I'll get a fan for it and have a macwhore friend of mine take a look. Then, I'll give it to my eldest son's mother for Christmas, because she's been dying for an inexpensive Mac notebook. _

_So, I went to the computer store and sold a few odds and ends… until I had acquired about 900 dollars worth of store credit… and with it, I bought a brand new MacBook. No, not the pro… C'mon, it's not necessary to have all that power – I just need to write and have a decent battery. I don't even have a DVD burner on this (Dvd DualLayer combo drive with cd burner). It's 2 point 1 GHZ Core2 Duo… it came with only one gig of pc5300 ram, although it is expandable up to FOUR… it has a 120gb sata hard drive (although I own a 250gb in my Toshiba, if I REALLY want to swap'em. I'm not worried though, because I use this new MacBook to WRITE!) and , of course, a copy of Microsoft Office Standard 2008 for Mac. Since I have a ton of ram chips sitting on my workbench (I fix people's computers as a side job, but thee, ah, 'business' hasn't really taken off just yet), I upgraded the ram in this new thing from 1gb to 2gbs, then I set it up to Dual-Boot with Windows Vista and …Man, I should just hush now. Long story short, it's a nice portable machine with low heat, a nice keyboard and all that jazz. _

_That's all for now! Arf._

_-Kit_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter -15-  
"The Fox And The Hound"

**"Last chance," said the vulpine pilot**, arms folded across his chest. He offered his best friend a sly grin, watching the greyhound's expression up on the main view screen. "I'm not going to offer again."

Bill Grey paused, looking over Fox McCloud with a bemused expression. With his green and yellow military helmet, he looked taller, even on a monitor. "Well, well – how's it going, fleabag? I've not seen you in a while, man. No, I've got my paws full, here on Katina. I know I told you it would be a cakewalk but I'm glad it's not because I'm having a blast." Grey shook his head with a slight shrug. "I'm flying shift runs twice a day, every day. We're keeping the Katina front in its place, dude. You should drop by when you guys are ship shape and ready. Just remember to shoot at the bad guys – we're not competing in a training simulator anymore, Fox."

"Yeah," replied McCloud with a sheepish grin. "I hear you, Bill. I'll try and make it, okay? It won't be soon, but I'll keep my eyes on the sensor scope. If I see anything that honestly worries me, I'll be there to help you guys out in a flash. Right now, though, I've got my own paws full and I want my pilots ready for the long haul."

"What're you guys flying?"

Fox's grin broadened into a toothy smile. "It's a prototype called The Arwing. It'll fly circles around your standard issue light fighter. It out-arms the medium fighter and can repel an ion cannon attack more gracefully than the heavies. It puts our training M-Class to shame."

"Sounds like a nice little ship, Fox, but I've read a small article on the Arwing. It's fast and nimble but it's one of the lightest fighters ever designed." Bill lifted the visor on his helmet and said, "Don't get me wrong, Fox. I heard the shielding system is bar-none compared to what else is out there, but when those fail, or if an electrical system blows a fuse, you've got nothing to save your tail. If you blink and take an ion missile – that's it for you. I'd rather have the extra three centimeters of titanium with Monoloy 454 to take a blaster beating. I'd put it up against your new fad-ship any day. There's a good reason why no one else is flying those things – they're death traps. I read about an Arwing shot down after only one round over Westtown not too long ago. The chief test pilot, as a matter of fact. Cute girl, you should meet her."

Fox balked then paused to muse over the irony of his friend's statement. "Uh, Bill, I was there. And I know the cute chief test pilot. I kissed her last night."

Bill broke into a round of soft chuckles. "Sure, Fox. You only _wish_ you were that lucky. Anyhow, she took a round from some wimpy ground assault carrier and, from what I read, she was lucky to survive. My fighter would have taken three shots before coming apart at the joints that way."

"Give it a rest," replied Fox, adding, "She blinked – I agree it could have been fatal but that was a beta version of the prototype. The ion charge overloaded her plasma engine drive, which is for the best because now Arspace Dynamics was able to fix that little problem. They called it a 'minor bug' in the plasma engine casing that was 'quite repairable'. The damn thing ruptured from the inside out. It wasn't even her fault. I know; I was there. Like I said, I kissed her last night."

"Okay, quit your day dreaming, McCloud." Bill put his helmet's visor back down and smiled. "Hold on, I'm getting a report about Dome Town."

The mercenary blinked. "You mean that big military town that was evacuated and quarantined? Shouldn't it be completely secure?"

"Yeah," replied Bill with a distracted look on his face. "Hey, look, I'm on duty so I've got to jet, Fox. Take your time but when you're ready, try and make it to the front line, will ya'?" He closed the channel, leaving a dark screen on Great Fox's main bridge viewer.

Sitting at the back of the bridge, Peppy Hare leaned back in a chair, sipping hot tea from a mug. He cleared his throat to make his presence known. "We should get back to practicing."

"Slippy had more testing to do," replied Fox with a slow nod. "I'm thinking we could land on a remote part of Fortuna, out in the ocean. We'll flood the hanger bay, but not before launching three Arwings. I want Slippy to work with his sub so he can get some kinks out of it. Meanwhile, the rest of us can work on some maneuvers. I want that sub ready, just in case. Zoness is a wreck and I have this feeling we might be going through there."

It's too corrosive for Toad's sub," replied Peppy. "The sub is designed for typical parameters of pollution."

"I don't understand," Fox mused. "There are Imperial ships and subs on Zoness. Why can't we go in with the Blue Marine?"

The aging hare shrugged. "Fox, it's a mini attack sub. We could load it down with the plating necessary to survive on Zoness, but you'd be ruining what it can do – it's currently the most nimble attack sub out there. The pollution would render its shields worthless, so you'd need to have actual armor. There are far too many enemies under the Zoness waters to attack without shields. It'd be better to go in with Arwings."

"Fair enough." Fox unfolded his arms. "I just want that submarine ready – call it a gut feeling. Let's get into the sky then I'll take the Land Master topside for a few hours."

Peppy pulled a pair of glasses out, pushed them up his nose and peered at a clipboard atop the nearby terminal. "Hmm, you're talking about a solid six hours, Fox. For you, at least. I'm thinking you should wait until tomorrow to do your tank exercises."

A paw lifted and Fox shook his head at his middle-aged mentor. "I'm sorry; I want to work with the Arwings more tomorrow. Fara may have to head back to work for a while." Before the rabbit could say anything else, Fox added, "She's under contract. I won't keep her from it. I'd _love_ to have Fara fly with us when we're ready to tackle whatever comes our way but… she's not my pilot."

"We're on the same page, here, Fox." Peppy removed his eyeglasses, folded them and put the frames into his front pocket. He wore a lengthy silver jacket, which shimmered in the bridge lighting. He crossed the room and patted the younger pilot on the shoulder. "Listen, son, I'm here to give advice but I'm not here to tell you how to do your job. I'm not the leader, here – you are. I'm not giving you orders, Fox. I trust your instincts and I want _you_ to trust those instincts, too."

"Thanks." McCloud ran his fingers back through the vanilla tuft between his ears. "I just want my team as ready as _you_. You're ready for anything and I don't want to be 'Star Peppy' when the time comes – I want this team to fly as one, without getting anyone killed. In order for every pilot to be at your level, we need to practice in the Arwings again, tomorrow. So I'm going to do a double-duty practice run with the tank _tonight_."

Peppy waved his paws dismissingly. "Fox, stop. I'm no more ready than you. Good pilots have to be on the same page to be truly ready as a team. Preparation is good and training is great but you running tests and simulations with the tank, after a full day of flying… that's hard on your body and your mind, Fox. You're a teenager – you need to relax and work in shifts to be safe."

"I know my body," explained Fox. The vulpine paused then told him, "I'm ready. I'm going to stop by the main deck and find Falco." He patted the hare on the shoulder then turned to his father's piloting droid. "Rob, plot out a course and get us to an unpopulated section of Fortuna. We'll launch the Arwings and put a tank out on the field for later on… then I want you to submerse the Great Fox hanger deck somewhere near the equator." He turned back to Peppy and added, "Slippy wants to run some tests on the Blue Marine – he'll join the rest of the team for flight practice tomorrow."

"Aye, sir," replied the robot.

Peppy chimed in with a shrug. "As you wish, Junior. Just remember, Slippy is better in the tank than anyone here, and the sub goes without saying – he really needs help, however, when it comes to flying a course more aggressive than, say, holographic rings."

"We're short on time," Fox mused. In a thoughtful voice, he said, "If I can condense the training, I might be hurting the guys in the long run but we'll be increasing our chances of survival if we were thrust into the thick of things by tomorrow." He walked to the door and told the rabbit, "I'm going to send Fara back to Corneria before we leave for Fortuna." His eyes cut to Rob. "As soon as her Arwing clears the hanger, head for Fortuna. Oh, and call me Fox."

Peppy followed Fox to the door. "If she doesn't have to be back to work until Friday, why not let her stay? She's a training pilot – her advice might be valuable. She could act as an aggressor to help with squadron maneuver practice." He pushed his paws into his pants pockets and frowned. "Her job is to teach prototype machines, like the Arwing, to pilots who have to fly them, like us. Slow down and relax – you're not thinking things through."

McCloud paused to ponder his options. He turned his attention to the robot, across the bridge, and asked, "How much does our success rate increase by adding Fara's teaching to our training program?"

Rob's head rotated atop of his metallic shoulders and he said, "Stand by; building a formula using current variables. …Computing main equation… computing secondary equation…" After a few seconds of quiet, he said, "Mission success rate _without_ Fara Phoenix's assistance is sixty-four percent in an offensive against Venom. Mission success rate with the addition of Fara Phoenix is increased to seventy-five percent."

"Eleven percent, Fox." Peppy grinned. "We'll rendezvous with a Phoenix Star-Liner craft on Thursday morning – that gives her time to relax before she has to report in on Friday."

"I'll talk to her," said Fox, adding, "Rob, make best time to Fortuna." He turned to Peppy. "I really like her. Everything feels natural with Fara." He left the bridge and headed down the hallway. Within a few minutes, Fox arrived in front of Fara's quarters. He pressed a button on the doorframe but before she could answer the call, he stepped into her room. She was sitting in front of a screen, holding a videoconference with General Pepper. McCloud stopped in the doorway and frowned. "I'm sorry; I didn't realize you were having a meeting. I'll come back when you're not busy."

Fara lifted a paw. "Fox, wait." She then gestured to the General with a simple index finger. "Fox, General Pepper has a proposition to offer…"

"What's going on?" he asked, stepping further into the room.

From the screen, the hefty hound tipped his officer's hat at Fox then nodded. "Fox, I have need of Fara's help on Katina. If you would be willing to give her an Arwing and let her head to Katina, I would be willing to change her schedule upon return to you. I'd allow her to stay with Great Fox for an additional week to help your team prepare and train with the Arwing fighters. However, I desperately need her to head to Katina. There's no time to transfer her to a transporter and I don't have the military clearance to allow Mercenaries to get involved with this situation. Fara's mission is simple, easy and would not endanger your fighter."

Fox brought a paw to the bottom side of his jaw, rubbing his chin in thought. "I suppose that would be all right." He turned to Fara and said, "Meet us on Fortuna after you're finished. We'd like to do some training simulations." He waited for Fara's nod of reply then directed his next statement back to Pepper. "Sir, I just spoke with Bill Grey – he got an incoming report and ended our conversation quicker than normal; is everything all right on Katina?"

"Everything is fine; he's on duty, after all," said the General. "He might have worried that his commanding officer might take notice of him having personal conversations when he's supposed to remain vigilant. Thanks for understanding about Fara; I just need her to take an encoded priority message to someone on Katina – it has to be hand delivered. I can't explain much more than that."

The fennec vixen turned to Fox and kissed the side of his face. "Can you prep my ship for launch? I'll be down in just a minute."

McCloud smiled brightly and nodded. "Sure thing, Fara. I'll meet you on the flight deck." He turned for the door. Meanwhile, the fennec turned her attention to the departing pilot, her eyes raking over his figure. She turned back towards the officer on the screen and nodded.

"General, sir. What's the situation – if William Grey hasn't said anything to Fox, does that mean this situation hasn't gone public, yet?"

"Grey doesn't even _know_," replied Pepper with a sigh. "This Imperial cell made their threat directly to me. The chemical bomb will be easy to neutralize, but it will be well protected by their agents. They've given us twenty-four hours to comply or they detonate it. I'm actually going to be sending Fox's friend with you because you'll need someone familiar with the building's layout in order to proceed without getting caught."

"Fifth freedom?"

"Miss Phoenix, I'm not asking you to do anything but make this small cell disappear. Don't let them report to their superiors. Just make it like they never existed."

"Working with someone will drive this program into the public, sir."

Pepper's head swiveled on the screen. "Phoenix, I'll be ordering him to remain silent – this is a classified operation. I do _not_ want your new boyfriend to find out. Not from you _or_ from William Grey. Period. While nearly family to me, Fox McCloud is a civilian and is not privileged to classified operations. I also do not want Grey to find out the scope of the situation. Your mission is simple – erase the problem. That's what you do, right?"

She offered a sly grin. "I thought you didn't approve of the use of covert operation agents?"

"This is a serious situation – your training outweighs my desire to disband covert operation groups." Pepper turned away from her, presenting his backside to the camera, from the shoulders up. He removed his hat and sunglasses then turned back to her and frowned deeply. "This is not an official military campaign. This operation doesn't exist. The Prime Minister says he's going to call the terrorist's bluff because they're not claiming a direct affiliation with Imperial Venom. Grey's job is to get you to the old district's military defense headquarters, get you through it and stay alive. It's classified – he won't talk about it, and that's final. _Your job_ is to shut it down and walk away without any eyewitnesses. Keep Grey alive; his death would arouse suspicion. I just want this situation to go away."

"Why is this district abandoned again?"

"Stand by." Pepper changed the encryption algorithm. The encryption software caused a distortion flutter in the image feed. "Next data-burst transmission change will occur in four minutes. Now here is the situation, Fara…" He leaned back in a chair and placed his aviator shades in his hat then placed it upside-down on his desk. His image blurred then adjusted with the addition of autofocus. "There was a mistake during my predecessor's time in office. They were working on making a dangerous weapon but the entire file became sealed when the weapon failed – I expected no less since the old brass was on Andross' payroll. The city was evacuated under pretenses that there was a major gas leak, followed by a tectonic tremor creating a dangerous possibility for explosion. The truth is, the entire town was quarantined to stop a deadly virus from spreading. We think it may have been the beta version of something more sinister."

Fara's brows furrowed. "I deploy in a bio hazmat suit? What about the Imperial Cell? Can't we just let them die from the virus?"

"No," returned Pepper with a slow shake of his head. "The both of you will receive a vaccine shot before insertion. After extraction, you'll both be sent to detoxification so you don't carry it out of that city. It will eventually die, on its own, without a host but the viral half-life has caused us to evacuate the city until next summer… just to be safe. So far, the casualty level from that virus is less than a dozen deaths. The Imperial Cell has outfitted themselves with bio-suits but they think the virus is incurable. So, they're implementing it to make a bomb for use against Katina… on a much larger scale. In twenty-four hours, they'll set it off unless Corneria releases all Imperial prisoners and draws back its frontline forces. That's not going to happen, but at the same time, one of our most important allies is being held hostage in secret. Without bio suits, Imperial agents would die in a matter of hours so please utilize that fact. I want this situation to disappear. Once the mission is complete, I'll seal the file as though it never happened. Morale is bad enough – I don't want to cause panic, doubt or fear."

"Understood. What is the success rate of the vaccine?"

"It's perfect, but there is no cure for certain species. Avians, lizards, amphiboids and like-races do not respond to our vaccine. Since it can be passed on by exposure, you'll want to avoid traveling outside of the city to keep this virus contained. It can get in your fur, clothing and gear. For that reason, when you're brought to the detox lab, you'll have to burn your gear and current clothing. Again, this virus needs a host to survive the Katina season changes – the city will remain evacuated until next summer. It cannot survive outside of the body in certain temperatures – a fever of '108' would kill the virus almost instantly. This city was locked down under a force field but these agents entered through exposed sewer lines outside of city limits. You'll be inserted through a special pod that is designed to penetrate the force field and will leave via the same method."

"Again, sir, why is Grey necessary to this mission?"

"He lived in this city for three years during his youth. Having been a newspaper delivery boy, he knows the layout intimately. Also, he was stationed to the military facility in question, leading up to the evacuation. His knowledge of the city and the headquarters building are valuable. However," said Pepper, folding his arms, "He doesn't have your training so he would be unlikely to survive, alone. Once you guys have completed the mission, start a fire in the main building's laboratory… or destroy it in some way – I'll leave it up to you if you want to destroy those labs first or last. The building shell is designed to contain fire – it will not spread to the rest of the city, I assure you. After you've destroyed the laboratory I want you to return to the pod, which is preprogrammed to take you back to a deployment ship for detoxification. Then, you'll take the Arwing back to the Great Fox and drop the issue – this is the last time we'll speak of it, understand?"

"It's classified. After I return, the official line will be, '_there was no mission_,' sir."

Pepper nodded with a slight smile of relief. "Good luck, Fara. I'm not changing my stance on covert operations agents, like yourself… you're a dangerous breed if someone with your training went off the deep end, but… I appreciate your assistance in this mess. Pepper out." The visual distorted, as the encryption software on Corneria's end began to change again, however the signal came to an abrupt end before the screen could refocus.

Fara stood up with a calm demeanor and casually left her quarters, heading for the flight deck where Fox McCloud would be waiting for her…

* * *

**Turbulence shook the small flying pod** like a toy in the hands of an angry child. The greyhound across from Fara turned to face her and offer a reassuring smile. "Don't worry," he said. "This is normal when you're heading into the force field. I'm sure you're used to it, though… it's about as bad as your boyfriend's flying." His smile turned into a grin, looking to break the ice with a little humor. "How'd you guys wind up together, anyway?"

She leaned back in her seat, turning her head to the left. Their chairs were besides one another and as they headed downwards, the force of gravity grew stronger. She relaxed to the best of her ability, shifting her weight to get comfortable then told him, "Fox rescued me in person, then he rescued me in an ejector pod and, then, he rescued my career. All in about a week's time."

The greyhound grinned at her and said, "So you feel safe with him and let your girly emotions get the best of you. Now you've fallen in love with your hero and can't imagine your life without him, right?"

With a sly smile, Fara shrugged and nodded. "I guess so. He's just too much man for me, Mister Grey. In all honesty, he was in the right place at the right time. I don't put much stock in his rescues – that was luck the first time, skill the second time and slick diplomacy the third time."

"Fox? Diplomatic? How so?" asked Bill, his voice sounding shaken and jostled from the intense shaking of the flying pod.

Fara cleared her throat and smiled. "Fox and I stole Arwings, took them through the wormhole and appeared over Venom. We attacked and shut down the primary wave of fighters. I would have received a court martial for misconduct if he didn't tell General Pepper that he forced me to follow him by handing me the opportunity to not only follow him but ensure that he didn't lose a prototype fighter to the enemy." The vixen licked her lips then thoughtfully she mused, "I date him because he's attractive and provides intelligent conversation."

"You two _stole_ Arwings?"

She replied with a firm nod then laid her head back, jolted violently in her seat. "He had this fantastic idea about how to get close to Venom by going through the wormhole but at the time it was just a theory. Most assumed that any fighter would be crushed while trying to go through. Fox had this idea about using the gravity diffuser module to create a gravity field around the ship to make a four-dimensional time-slip. Then it would be possible to 'jump' into Venom airspace. From there, one would be able to attack Venom while their defenses are down. Everyone called him crazy and they put him in the brig."

"Geeze, really?" replied the rattled pilot. He closed his paws around either side of his chair, straining against the seatbelt harness.

With a nod, Fara continued. "The rest of Fox's team crunched the numbers and decided that there was a modest rate of success to Fox's idea. Falco decided he should try it. I headed over to the brig, freed Fox and helped him to steal an Arwing so he could be the one to try it. It was _his_ idea, after all. Then, I did something stupid… I stole an Arwing and followed him. It's like I told him, 'you can't be a leader without a team.' Falco followed us anyhow and, in the end, the Star Fox team managed to destroy a robotic …uhm… 'face' built by Andross Oikonny. We got in but Fox was separated from the group. He fought this robotic contraption alone. Everyone thought Andross was dead and that we'd won the war but… we're still at war, so that wasn't the case. Luckily, Fox managed to sweet talk General Pepper in my interest. With everyone thinking that we'd brought a swift end to the war, immediately after the attack, Pepper was in a forgiving mood. He said he'd planned to discharge the whole lot of us but… it was assumed that we'd won. He went easy on us."

"So Fox went to bat for you and took the blame, huh? Well, that was good of him. But yeah, cool, so Fox's theory-thing worked, huh?"

"Yes, it worked very well – now Slippy Toad's father is researching everything we did that day so that he can design a jump gate around that theory for normal ships to utilize… anyhow."

Bill nodded, only having met Slippy a few times during the academy. "So I have a question about this mission, Miss Phoenix." Bill leaned up against the force of G's and pressed a button on the control panel. He then leaned back in his chair and asked, "Why are you here? I heard that someone broke into this facility and they wanted me to go and arrest these guys or, if they're Imperial lizards, to take'em out. Why send the rich girlfriend of Fox McCloud?"

Fara shook her head. She knew her official title was of classified status and, thusly, she couldn't tell him the truth. "Mister Grey, first of all… please call me Fara. Second of all, sweetheart, I want you to know that I'm also a chief test pilot for all prototype technology as I have a degree in theoretical science, engineering and weapon theory. There are supposedly some prototypes at this facility and I'm apparently the expert in the field. You know the layout and the area. Thus the two of us were the most likely candidates for this mission."

Bill cast a sharp gaze over at her. "But a theoretical weapon scientist and engineer has no place going after Imperial bandits unless the military has reason to believe they're trying to use one of those prototypes and you're being sent in to disarm it."

Deciding to downplay his assumption, she replied, "Wow, you figured this out all by yourself? Very impressive, Mister Grey. And, if you must know, my education doesn't _necessarily_ make me a scientist. I'm a pilot and a soldier first and foremost. Not only that… but by way of rank, I'm in charge of this operation. I also have a reputation for being stealthy with a knack for solving problems." She closed her eyes, placing a paw on the vibrating armrest. "And don't think this mission will end in a ribbon or any accolades. It's been deemed as classified so _no_; you will _not_ have bragging rights. This mission doesn't even exist – Pepper is sending us in without official government backing. It isn't taking place, so don't tell your friend about it; I won't tell my boyfriend about it. This isn't Fox's fight."

"Yeah I hear ya'." Bill shrugged. "All right, we're coming through the field now… we're two miles from the ground," he told her. "Prepare for deceleration shock – the brakes on this thing are pretty powerful." He leaned up and touched the 'landing sequence initiator' button on the dash panel. They both leaned forward against their seatbelts, grunting from the force. The two miles came quick. Seconds later, the pod crashed through an apartment building, jolting them several times for each floor they passed through. The pod stopped in the basement, coming to rest in the sub-basement. The illuminated dashboard powered down and a hydraulic canopy-style door opened above their heads. The pod was on its side, giving them a view of the concrete floor. Hundreds of quarters lay in a pile, all around the flattened washers and dryers that broke the fall of their pod.

Bill and Fara unbuckled themselves and crawled out through the top. With the pod on its side, they both rolled to the floor and sat adjacent to one another for a moment, high off the adrenaline. Grey sat up, took a fistful of quarters and showered her with them. "I sure hope the local banks were smart enough to transfer all their money out before leaving the city."

"Sitting on a pile of coins makes you ponder about the banks?"

He nodded with a grin. "Of course. If these things were filled with money, ATMs and vaults all over town probably have money in them, too." He stood up, careful not to slip on the layer of quarters then offered the fennec vixen a paw. He pulled her up and said, "Now, if you were an evil reptilian terrorist, where would you be hiding?"

Fara offered him a dull glare and said, "In the weapon's laboratory at the military HQ building." She glanced over her shoulder at the small gray pod and said, "Nice landing, Mister Grey."

"Thanks, Fara. Call me Bill." He reached up into the pod and pulled out a bag from behind his chair. "I found it interesting that my weapons operative gave me some rather lethal firearms." He separated the guns in the bag then handed her an assault rifle and two blaster pistols. For himself, he shouldered the strap of a submachine gun, a shotgun and two blaster pistols. He handed her two grenades and kept two for himself then gave her a flashbang magnesium grenade and kept one for himself. "This must be serious," said Bill, adding, "There's a kit at the bottom of the bag with cyanide capsules for each of us."

"We won't be needing those," replied Fara with a distasteful expression. "You can keep them on you, just in case, but I prefer torture over suicide." She cracked her knuckles, checked her weapons to ensure functionality then she holstered each pistol and shouldered her rifle by its strap. "Even though this mission will not exist after we finish it, just remember that success will keep you in Pepper's mind when he goes to approve your next promotion. We'll need some gear from a local army surplus store. You know the area – get us to one so we can stock up, Bill."

"Sure thing. Let's get out of this building – follow me." He led her to the staircase and they ascended to the first floor then walked outside. "Everyone remember when we parked!" He took the concrete steps down to the street and the two of them began walking up the block, towards the downtown sector.

The fennec noted the differences between how professional Fox could be compared to Bill. It wasn't that Bill was _not_ professional – in fact, the husky-mixed greyhound had high regard for his duty and, according to his file, he had great work ethic, too… but he had a different way of showing it. Furthermore, from the way he walked, looked and acted, she couldn't tell that he was anything less than purebred greyhound. The only difference she noticed was that he had a little more fur in certain areas than the typical greyhound would. His face was lean and athletic like a greyhound, as was his frame. But his ears were folded forward like that of a husky. She followed him up the block, weapon at the ready, until they arrived at an abandoned store with a metal shutter pulled down over the front.

"Hmm, I'll have to…" Fara trailed off in thought. She shouldered her rifle, withdrew one of her twin blaster pistols and shot out a hinge above the rolling door housing. "Give me a boost," she told him then stepped into his offered paw, moved up over his shoulder and proceeded to use her pistol as a hammer on the rolling manifold. Quite suddenly, the flexible barrier dropped to the ground, unveiling the storefront. She leapt from his shoulders and dropped to the ground gracefully then fired a shot into the window. It shattered from the energy discharge.

"That was effective."

"Indeed," she replied. "Okay, it's time to go to work. Let's get what we need and get on with it. The sooner we get home, the sooner we can all relax." She stepped over the mess, into the store and turned to provide him with cover as he entered next. "Let's keep an eye out – I'm sure no one heard the window drop but we also don't know very much about who we're dealing with, here. They could be something more than the average Imperial slug." Satisfied there was no one in her line of sight, she headed further into the store, grabbing a backpack from a rack then heading into the aisles to fill it with supplies.

"Are you going to, like, leave money on the table? I heard you're rich and stuff."

Fara paused to glare at him. "Be serious. This mission never happened so why leave anything that could be traced back to us? Sweetheart, that's not going to happen. So far as the broken shutter and glass, as well as the supplies we need… that's all covered by insurance. Yeah, I don't like stealing but unless you have a better idea, our mission requires us to procure gear onsite. We're confiscating and commandeering as necessary; everything we need to finish this mission has to be consecrated in the name of Corneria, in a manner of speaking."

"Okay, I understand," he replied. "Sounds like a smart idea to me; do you have a shopping list of items you want me to get?"

Fara nodded. "Medical supplies, first aid kits, field kits – I want to be ready if one of us take an old fashioned bullet in the torso. I'm going to be in aisle three, gathering additional supplies." She placed her paw on his shoulder and gave him a guiding nudge towards the last aisle at the far end of the store.

"Speaking of old fashion bullets," replied Bill as he walked through the shop, "It looks like they sell those here for hunting the creatures that roam in the Katina wilderness. Should we grab some of them?"

Fara called back from her aisle, further up. "Sure, grab whatever you think we need!" She then turned her attention back to the gear on the shelves, rummaging through various items. After awhile, she brought a knapsack full of items up to the front. The fennec took a metal flashlight off a peg below the front counter then put it aside.

Next, she pulled the cash register from its resting place, turned the computer on its side and began taking it apart. She removed the optical drive and disassembled the unit. After a moment, she broke the main breadboard and retrieved the laser diode from the drive. Using tools she found back in aisle two and three, she carefully carved a piece circular fitting from the green plastic used as part of the motherboard inside the register.

With graceful precision, Phoenix opened the flashlight, removed the bulb, the cradle apparatus and rubberized lining ring. She whittled down the plastic fitting until it would fit into the flashlight then put the laser diode into the fitting. She eased it into the flashlight casing and retrieved long lasting industrial strength batteries from behind the counter. With the rubber-lining ring back in place, she replaced the bulbless head of the light and turned it 'on'.

A laser beam cut through the plastic lens of the modified flashlight, instantly burning a hole through it. The concentrated red light touched the register screen, burning through it after several seconds. Satisfied with her handiwork, Fara put the new-and-improved flashlight into a pocket and shouted, "Are you almost ready?"

"Yeah, give me a minute," replied Bill from somewhere near the back.

The vixen began rummaging through the glass case up at the counter until she came across a high power stun gun designed to fit over her paw like brass knuckles. She took it from the package, located several extra batteries and started organizing her gear. By the time she was done, there was a great deal of foam padding, ripped packaging and other flecks of detritus strewn about the counter.

Her eyes landed on a coil of metallic looking 'string' on an end-cap in front of the fifth aisle. She approached it, took it off the shelf and brought it back to the front counter. Fara pulled the flashlight back out, opened the front end and removed the laser diode then retrieved a lighter from a plastic bin next to the dismantled register. She ignited the lighter, using it to burn a piece from the roll of solder then used the metallic corner of the lighter's bottom to brush away excess liquid metal. It cooled rapidly, fusing the laser diode into place so that her invention was now something more permanent that could withstand getting jostled with travel abuse.

She set the metallic roll on the counter next to the lighter and reassembled the flashlight casing. Finally, she gave it another quick test, using it to burn the very edge of a solder strand, until it turned into a liquid metal puddle on the countertop. Last but not least, she put the contraption back into her pocket and shouldered her new gear bag. "Okay, I'm all set. Get your stuff together and bring it up to checkout, Bill!"

Seconds later he emerged from the aisle with a packed messenger-style bag. She also noticed that the greyhound had several guns slung over his shoulders, on hip holsters and torso slings beneath his arms. He had two silenced pistols on either leg, beneath the blasters that rested at his waist.

Fara shook her head and approached him. She looked over the arsenal of weapons then eyed a high-powered handgun on his left leg, above the knee. She unbuckled the holster and took it from him, connecting it to her own thigh. "You're rather over-loaded, Bill. All of that is unnecessary."

"Can't be too sure, right?" He offered her a grin then said, "I see you took the five seventy-seven with recoil control and suppressor."

"I highly doubt this small cylinder is going to 'suppress' either flash _or_ sound." She checked the magazine, aimed it out the window and fired. The fennec winced from the sharp click, followed by the ear-splitting crack of the round breaking the sound barrier. Like the front window, this one shattered from the intensity of the round. "These things are still almost useless under water. You'd need more than a six hundred…"

"Who would be firing a weapon like that under water?" Bill tilted his head, reorganizing the layout of his weapons by putting one of the holsters onto the empty spot on his left leg.

"No, I mean if an enemy is under water and I shoot at him, the round is going to disintegrate within several feet of liquid penetration. Give me a pulse rifle any day of the week – lizard's might run but they won't be able to hide."

Bill shrugged and reverted to the last topic. "At least we're not deaf – the silencer works, so far as I'm concerned."

"Muting it by thirty or forty decibels hardly earns an object the nickname of '_Silencer_', Bill. Let's start a reconnaissance patrol and gather intelligence. I saw a tag for a waterproof digital camera down in aisle eight; the actual live units must be kept behind the register or something. We can use it to collect some information on the layout – this is a zero-fail mission and I plan on walking away completely successful."

He feigned sarcasm saluting her with a sharp, clear motion of his right paw. "Yes, ma'am! Zero fail rate!"

"Grow up," she replied with a roll of her eyes and a slight twinge of a grin. The ever-consummate professional hid her amusement for now by pointing to the missing front window. "If you ever want to make 'General', you'll want to save the silliness for when you're off duty." She couldn't deny that he was a cute young man with some measure of potential but he was nothing like Fox. "You take point, Bill Grey. Let's head for the military compound and finish our mission."

William Grey stuck to the alleyways, leading Fara to the heart of the town, where a large building stood majestically at about ten-to-twelve stories high. It was difficult to guesstimate, due to the fact that it had no windows beyond the fifth floor.

A solid looking brick wall surrounded the property with an iron-wrought gate on the east side. The bars were just barely far enough apart that Bill could squeeze through but only by removing his gear and sliding it through first. Fara eased through gracefully, arching her back and rolling her hips a bit to work between the bars.

"I hate to sound cliché," Bill began saying, only to be hushed by Fara.

"I know," she whispered. "It's '_too quiet_'. I feel it, too – things aren't what they appear. Stay on guard. Supposedly, according to what little intelligence I've been given, these guys have activated the building's automated security system and attack sentries. We have full authority to destroy them, as well as the building. However, they would prefer we only engage living enemies if first provoked. I'm pretty sure that Corneria wants someone to interrogate; it's just a hunch but …you know what I mean…?"

"Yes, ma'am – I don't see the typical floating sentry bots that usually patrol the grounds between here and the entrance. I say we make a run for it. The less time we're in an open space like this courtyard, the better our chances are for not getting spotted."

"Again, you take point, Bill. I want you to run as hard and as fast as you can to the wall then wait for me. We'll go into the main doors together so as to cover one another. Is there a loading dock? I'd rather go in through the back, personally."

"Yeah it's on the west side, Fara. I'll run to the wall then, when you join me, we can hurry around the building together or something."

She glanced from left to right then up and down. After a few seconds, she gave him a swat on the shoulder. In a whisper, she hissed, "Go, go, go!" With that said, she watched Bill sprint across the grounds then put his back up against the wall of the building. He looked around then signaled to her that it was all clear.

Fara Phoenix gracefully sprinted across the open section, through grass that was only slightly higher than it should have been, due to a lack of recent maintenance. She came to a halt, pressing her back up against the building, adjacent to the greyhound. "Okay, Bill. I have a good idea about how we're going to get in through the loading dock, so let's take a second to catch our breath then move around the other side of this building."

"Primacord?"

"Too loud," she replied. "Primacord and Primaline are great for surprising and stunning people on the other side of the door – we don't want to do that, hon. Let's keep the element of surprise."

"Sounds good." He didn't want to point out that she'd used the word, 'hon' but he also appreciated her friendly and trusting demeanor, despite her intensely professional attitude thus far. He glanced over her then drew out his submachine gun. "I'm ready."

Fara gave her assault rifle a pat then opted for the two pistols. She withdrew them from their holsters and nodded. They began to move along the wall towards the rear entrance. The double doors were forced and they began to make their way through the halls, bathed in the glow of yellow auxiliary-power flood lamps.

They took stairs down to the lower level and made their way into one of the many laboratories. At the center of the first room was a large glass chamber. Fara approached it and studied the equipment.

"What is it?" asked Bill.

"I wasn't aware this sort of technology existed for sure… it's designed to put someone into cryogenic stasis. Very fascinating stuff, here." She continued into the adjacent lab and he followed. "Okay… I want you to start a fire in this room, Bill. This will ensure that the enemy, should one get away, will not utilize this military technology."

"But doesn't that mean we can't use it either?"

She returned a dubious glare. "Bill, the scientists who made this stuff are smart enough to keep journals, logs and files. Everything you see here is probably already used in other military labs throughout Lylat. Stop worrying and get started."

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

**Katt Monroe paced in front of the two** stolen Venom fighters. The Mantis and the disc-shaped fighter were both still rather shiny and new looking. She rubbed her paws together. "Now to take you both apart, combine the best parts of each and create…" She paused, looking for something clever to call it. Her eyes lowered to her fist and her claws.

Monroe grinned. "We'll call you… the Cats Paw," she murmured, bearing then retracting her claws. "It will be about as sexy as younger men and as sleek as… me." She withdrew a 'menthol' and lit the tip. She brought the filter to her lips and inhaled deeply of the mint-flavored smoke then exhaled with a sigh of relief. "This vice has got to stop," she murmured in regards to cigarettes. It always left a foul taste in her mouth, although smoking menthol cigarettes wasn't so bad compared to the stench of the lizard's breath she'd tried seducing the other day.

Katt finished it, dropped the butt on the ground then mashed it with her toe. "Ah my vices," she murmured. "Smoking has got to go; that's it, no more…" she paused, pondering her inner vices then she grinned. "But flirting with younger men… that one isn't so bad." Her thoughts turned back to Falco. He was only a few years younger than her, but she liked the teenage falcon more than she was willing to admit aloud.

With a sigh, the feline pushed the boytoy from her mind and cleared her throat. She fished out some chewing gum and pushed it into her maw then retrieved a pair of overalls. It was time to get dirty. She sat a tool bag on the deck of the rental space then changed her attire. Once she was down to nothing but overalls and a t-shirt, she began to prep her tools. Katt Monroe cracked her knuckles and filled her pockets with tools she'd need the most. It was time to put her street-bike engineering knowledge to good use. The feline squatted down then leapt into the air, landing on the backside of one of the two stolen fighters.

"When I'm done with you two, the end result will be something no one will recognize." She got to work cannibalizing both fighters. She wanted to combine the pieces into one awesome fighter. Her heart raced with excitement. She took the pack of cigarettes from her pocket and looked at them for a moment. "Menthol or not… you're done. This is it, this time. I mean it." She chucked the pack into the booster of the newer of her two stolen fighters. She then climbed up atop of the other fighter and began to tear out the cockpit bolt by bolt.

* * *

**"Explosives are in place. When do I detonate?"** Bill's voice was clear over Fara's headset. "Or should I set it for a timer?"

"Do both," she said. "Give us a nice, long headstart. That way, if – for any reason – we can't detonate the devices ourselves, they'll eventually go off. Set it for half an hour."

"Copy that. I'll see you in a minute," he told her, adding, "What do I use the digital camera for?"

Fara, in the next section over, placed a paw on her headset, where it came down to her jaw line. "I was going to suggest using them to photograph enemy checkpoints but they're doing things rather differently. No photographic evidence – after all, this mission never existed. Dispose of the camera. Oh, and I have a small problem so… turn on your bioscanner and meet me here." She closed the channel before he could ask what was going on.

Fara lowered her paw from the headset and slouched somewhat to appear unprofessional. She sighed, feeling the barrel against the backside of her head. "Okay, you win; the jig is up – you got me."

"Quiet, Cornerian." The voice was well enunciated. She couldn't tell whether or not it was a reptilian or mammalian just yet.

"Okay, so I turn around with paws on my head – then I kneel down, right? Move slowly so you can disarm me?"

"No! You stare at the wall and do not move. You do not disarm. I will disarm you, myself. We professionals have a method for this sort of thing." His words caused a secret frown to tug at the fennec's maw. The gentleman continued to speak. "When your friend arrives, we will execute him. _You_ get to live; we only need one hostage and females are worth more to Corneria than males."

"Ah, I see," she murmured. "So if you're not affiliated with Imperial Venom, are you a simian or a lizard? Or is this something over my head and out of my league?"

A scaly green hand came about from behind and clamped over her muzzle. "Take a guess," he murmured directly into her ear. The gun lowered from the back of her head and stopped at her lower mid back. "You want to be a paraplegic, vixen? Don't move, don't speak, don't squirm, and don't think about doing anything… _rich girl_."

"Pardon?" Her word was muffled from the hand on her face.

"Your posture, your whining; you're obviously a little spoiled daddy's girl with money who joined the military, went to an officer's academy and you have no idea what hard work is like. If you were _any_ sort of challenge, I would have had to smear you up against the wall by now. Furthermore…"

Fara brought a foot up between his thighs. Her heel met his crotch. She bumped her hip back to offset his gun, which discharged into the wall. With quick, surgical precision, she turned about, twisting away from the now-loosened grip on her muzzle. She brought an elbow into his face and used her other paw to grab behind his head.

With the strength of a trained military special operation's agent, she forced his head down in an irregular manner. She brought her knee up so that it met with his face, breaking his jaw. With a soft huff, she brought an elbow down behind his head, cracking his spine. He dropped to the floor, paralyzed.

A scoff; the vixen leaned in and whispered to him, "Now you're a _quadriplegic_. I heard that you lizard boys would rather die than lay around helplessly." She rolled him over onto his back and started checking him for gear and personal possessions. "You're in shock from the rich lil' daddy's girl getting the drop on you." She continued to pat him down then check his pockets. "Just breathe slowly and relax your mind – it's all you have left to use, right now, sweetheart."

Her headset vibrated softly with a gentle beep in her ear. Fara lifted her paw, touching the side of it. "What's your status, Bill?"

"I, uh… I'm supposed to beg you for help and tell you it's a matter of life or death but I'm not the begging type." Bill's tone was firm and held a touch of anger. It caused her to sigh. He heard it over the line and said, "I'm sorry."

She sighed again. "It's not your fault. I suppose you're at gunpoint. I'll do what I can. See you shortly."

* * *

A/N: _Hi gang! Long time no see, huh? Don't worry, I'm still going to finish Spy Cooper (2 chapters left), Dawn of Progeny (one chapter left), Détente (I've got chapter 17 almost complete and 18 is in the works) and all my other stuff. I just… y'know… I wanted to do some work on this story. _

_:D_

_Just a few chapters, although it's going to be one of my longest Reflections stories when I'm done with it, lmao. _

_I also plan on finish Refelctions of Marcus soon! I SWEAR! Lol_

_I'll be returning to ALL my Sly Cooper stories for CHRISTMAS! Starting with A COOPER CHRISTMAS and both Spy Cooper and Dawn of Progeny in that order. DoP's final chapter is about half-way finished, too. xD_

_Okay, I'll hush now! Lol_

_SO HOW HAS EVERYONE BEEN?! I hope you guys are still around! _

_So Fara still has her cutting tool she made, and there's lots left for this chapter, I just didn't want it to get massively long. Also, I'm going to show more about Katt before Fara goes back to Fox... YES THAT IS RIGHT... Fara doesn't 'die' on this mission. FAKE OUT! lol. Seriously, though, it happens soon. _

_LOL one more thing! Guess what? I re-read through this entire story and was about to write a chapter 15... when suddenly, I found this one on my hard drive, already written. It was nearly complete, too. Up to where I start the short segment with Katt (which I add much more to in the next chapter) and that was done November 28th of last year! LOL I shoulda' just finished it, huh? So anyhow, I'll write NEW material for this story this week and post it. _

_So yeah... if anyone is still reading this story, drop me a line, a PM, an email, a feedback review thing (I accept anonymous ones, too, after all) or just say HI!_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter -16-  
"The New Star Fox"

**Bill Grey interlaced his fingers behind his head** with a roll of his eyes. "Look, man, your whole stupid outfit is just asking for problems by doing things this way. Katina isn't like Papetoon – shouldn't you guys be wearing a bio-hazmat suit?"

"The vaccine that works to cure this virus doesn't work on all species," said the lizard, adding, "You're lucky, Cornerian. However, the cure to this virus happens to be the exact same cure to the Venom Plague. It's toxic to many species; it is also an engineered attack cell that fights the virus… and, so, it can be engineered to work for lizards and apes. We broke in here to steal the cure, reverse engineer it and repair it to work with our genetic makeup. I don't expect you to understand 'messenger RNA', nucleotides or how it can kill us, but it's painful and takes a matter of ten hours to completely tear through a lizard. However, it's the closest thing we have to a cure and so we wish to possess it nonetheless."

The canine blinked. "You guys aren't here to steal a weapon or attack Katina or anything like that?"

"No you dimwitted dog. We're here to stop the plague and save our race. How do you think Corneria was able to invent a cure for the Capital City base almost overnight? The same cure that killed Andrea Bowman, I might add. I assure you, she died quite painfully. My men and I plan to sell this cure to Venom; I understand that Emperor Andross is a genetic doctor. He'll make a planet-wide cure."

Bill sighed. "I thought you guys were terrorists."

"We use that term loosely, ourselves; but we're a privateer organization and, trust me… this nearly-finished cure will make us very rich. Andross can finish it and make it work for lizard and apes; it guarantees his survival so he'll pay dearly for it. Then it's up to him to fix the cure to work on his kind and ours. Where is your friend? You called them, didn't you?"

"I did, man – they'll be here when they can. Maybe they got caught up with one of your pals. Look, can we just… be diplomatic about this? Venom might not be on the top five of my calling network but… the planet doesn't deserve to be racked by disease."

"Most would disagree," said the lizard, his eyes narrow. "And you're right, I should have a bio-hazmat suit; none of us do because they don't work. Trust me, if I didn't know they wouldn't protect me… I wouldn't have been in on this mission. But it's too late, now. Needless to say, most Cornerians would not want Venom to be disease free. They see it as a way to win the war."

"Just take it; MY mission is to stop you guys from stealing prototype weapons and destroying this base, which has been quarantined because this virus is dangerous to various species, as the cure doesn't work for everyone… and, you can spread it just by being around it. It gets in your clothes, your skin and hair, …even your gear. Everything. It's nasty stuff. Anyhow, my mission does not include preventing you from making off with the cure to this virus. Dude, if it also works against the Venom Plague… just go and steal a sample then leave."

"I already have procured a sample and the data disc to create it."

"Then leave! There's only two of us – just GO!"

The lizard walked in front of Bill, gun pointed in the canine's face. "The moment I turn my back on you, I'll be dead."

Bill rolled his eyes. "Dude, I might not be a scientist, but if you stick around here and try to play this hostage-stalemate crap, you're going to die from the virus. You've got our version of the cure, now get the hell out of here and get it to Venom as soon as possible. Duh."

"SHUT UP!" He brought the weapon closer to Bill's face.

The canine scoffed. "Whatever. See if I help you again; you bite me once, shame on you, but if you bite me twice… shame on me. Go if you want, else you're going to die soon. And it's a long trip home, NOT TO MENTION Andross needs time to work on the sample. Dude, you'll probably be dead before he finishes it because you're just taking your time, here."

"I've got what I came for, you've not given it to me so your generosity is faux; you only wish to save yourself. I've no need of your help, so forgive me for pulling the trigger, Cornerian dog." He flipped the safety switch then smiled. He waited to see the fear in Bill's eyes. When it didn't happen, the lizard grew frustrated. "Whatever! If you're not afraid to die, it is not of my concern!"

A bolt of blazing bright energy cut through the room. The lizard's forearm, along with the weapon, fell to the floor. Fara Phoenix stalked into the laboratory with a grin upon her muzzle. "Put your _hand _up, or you'll wind up like your buddy… unable to move for the rest of his life."

Bill turned to her and lowered his paws back to his sides. "Fara, wait… they're here on a mission of mercy. It's not what we thought."

"Yeah, but I'm not about to have mercy on them – they attacked _us_."

Bill gestured with his paws for her to lower her weapon. "They're dying. You noticed they're not wearing HAZMAT suits… it's because they didn't work. These guys are infected with the virus that caused this city to become quarantined. They've learned that the cure to this virus is the same cure that stops the Venom Plague."

The lizard brought his clawed hand to the stump just above where his elbow used to be. The pilots could tell he felt no pain. The smell of charred flesh was pungent. "Andross Oikonny can take the engineered cure and make it work for ape-kind and lizard-kind. We're here to steal it – the only other known source of the cure… it's also the _only_ source that's completely unguarded."

"How much do you need for Andross to be able to work with it?" asked Fara.

"Enough to service one hundred Cornerians should be enough. We've taken everything here. I understand that a very, very small dose was sent to Venom recently but I can only assume that it was meant for a small group of people. If those people were foolish enough to take it, they'll be dead by now. Emperor Andross won't have enough to work with, nor would he want to work on the bodies of the deceased, lest he contract the Plague, himself – his only choice is to take delivery of our theft."

"For a price, no less." Fara kept the gun trained on the lizard. "Let's change the rules. Call all your buddies and bring them here. How many are there?"

"They'll overrun you, female Cornerian. They have a limited time before they die of this …other virus. They're in no mood for mammalian semantics."

Fara slowly approached the lizard, gun drawn. "Then they won't care if I use you as a hostage. Thus, you're expendable. You can't spend all your hard-earned money if you're dead." She aimed the blaster at his face. "How do I know you're not lying to me, scaly?"

"It doesn't matter – our kind is at war with your kind. You judge me and will pull the trigger. I will not pull my men into your trap. I already know I'm going to die right now."

"No, not really," said Fara with a shrug. "I broke your buddy's neck. He's alive. He can't move his arms or legs… so I guess that means he'll just lay in there until the Virus kills him."

The reptile swallowed uneasily. "I see. You won't put him out of his misery? You're a foul woman-dog."

"Hey," said Fara with a glare. "I'm dog-free, thank you." She cut her gaze to Bill and added, "No offense, of course."

"None taken," he murmured, retrieving his sidearm. "Fara, just let him go. Let them take the cure and leave. We're supposed to uphold freedom and decency of all species."

"Yeah, we're supposed to uphold something like that." She approached the lizard cautiously. "But I could easily just mail the cure to Andross, IF he's even still alive. Then I'll dispatch the terrorist targets, low drama just like you scalies prefer it. Everyone wins. And, if we do it _my_ way, these thugs won't get rich off of it. Nobody should profiteer over medicine."

"I demand you kill my comrade," said the reptile. "Suffering is a disgusting and dishonorable tactic on the battlefield."

"I might help him, or I might disable _you_ and leave you to the same fate," she said. "Call your buddies. I'm here to finish a mission, not negotiate terms. If you have nothing to hide and all you wish to take is the cure to a virus… call them."

"I do not trust you, female," said the lizard. "I will not call them."

"Tough luck," said Fara. "Then they'll escape with the cure, Andross will make THEM rich, you'll die of a fashion flu and I'll sleep well tonight. I'm done negotiating. They're a danger to my friend and me. All we want to do is go home. If your buddies are laying a trap for us, we're both in danger. I don't negotiate over that. I'll wait it out right here in this lab until I KNOW they're all dead or gone, if I have to. I have time. I had a big breakfast, reptile. Make your move. Call them or wait and see what I do to you."

Silence followed. She watched the man as he deliberated with what to do next. Fara continued. "Andross lost his butt on Papetoon and disappeared. He was in an escape pod of some sort… smaller than an Arwing… and went through the black hole. Just admit it… he's dead and you're freaking out because you're about to die from a virus thanks to a botched mission over stealing a cure that's lethal to your type ANYhow."

"You're an idiot," said another voice from behind Fara. He held a gun trained on her. "Andross had look-a-likes. Yes, there was a battle on Papetoon and the pirates of that planet overwhelmed the Imperial attack. Some say the attack was led by the vulpine creature who attacked Venom not too long ago. Some ALSO say that the look-a-like Andross was a clone. People say a lot of things. That's how rumors get started. Andross Oikonny is alive and well, with his nephew – heir to the throne – relaxing on Venom as we speak. Corneria doesn't know which way is up or down right now. They're going through so many changes, especially with their military, that they don't know left from right." He approached Fara and took her weapon, adding, "Emperor Andross is eagerly awaiting us and our shipment."

He noted the state of the other lizard then placed Fara's blaster against her elbow. "Eye for an eye, alien scum." He holstered his pistol, took her by the wrist and held her arm up and out. The lizard grinded Fara's blaster against her upper arm and said, "You _deserve_ to lose your limb, woman."

The fennec jerked her arm back, easily pulling her tiny wrist loose of his grip. She maneuvered skillfully, snatching his hand and moving behind him so that she was choking him with his own arm. She redirected his gun into his hip with one swift motion, taking control of his other arm then she brought her right foot up, catching him behind his knees. The lizard dropped to a kneeling position on the deck with Fara's right knee against the nape of his neck. She tugged on his hand, further choking him with his own arm. The entire turnaround took a mere two seconds.

With a smile afforded to Bill, Fara whispered into the reptile's ear, over his shoulder. "I teach self-defense classes in my spare time. Your posture really left you open. How about I sent your cure to Venom and address it to Andross. If he's not alive, then… oh well. Despite what you boys may think about Cornerians, I personally do not want lizards suffering from a disease. The only question I have is… how does this cure, designed to stop the virus that quarantined this city, stop the Venom Plague?"

The new lizard, contorted and slumped on the floor, gagged until Fara eased up on her grip. He told her, "It's an engineered virus that enters your body and is designed to genetically alter the virus, as well as the Venom Plague, and render it inert. It changes the genetic makeup of the other virus. Think of it this way if you will… a radio executive comes in and tells his station that they're changing format. They used to play rock on this station, but they're changing to hip-hop. The virus is reprogrammed by the 'cure' and takes on a different function. Its new function is to sit, idle, until the body can naturally flush it out. However, the cure is lethal to certain species."

Fara nodded. "And a geneticist who makes bio-weapons for a living would know how to change this cure until it's compatible with reptiles, apes, avians, amphibians and any other species that would need it."

"Exactly." The lizard fell to the floor, clutching at his throat. He looked over his shoulder at Fara, who held the blaster in her paw again. The reptile glanced back at his hip where she'd redirected it a few moments prior, realizing that his hand was now empty. "How…?"

"I told you, I run a women's self defense course in my spare time, okay? How many of you are here?"

The one on the floor said, "Six. We're privateers. We have the cure in our possession."

"Take it to Venom, then." Fara jabbed him in the back of his head with her weapon. "Get up, collect your buddies, and go to Venom. I was told you guys were here with militaristic demands, terrorist goals and creating havoc. You boys just want medicine? Fine, take it. Leave peacefully. It's still wrong to sell medicine to a poverty-stricken planet."

Both lizards looked back at Fara as though she were crazy. The one who clutched at his missing arm said, "Thanks to Andross, Venom's economy has recovered. People who used to live on the streets now have homes and families. It's still a polluted place to live but there's schooling programs again, education systems, health clinics and a _feeling of hope_. THAT is why we follow Andross – he's provided us with so much that we're grateful. Also, we share a common outlook of Corneria."

Fara frowned. "I told you to take your medicine to Venom, so long as you leave peacefully. I don't give a crap how you look at Corneria… I'm allowing you to go so you can take the cure to Venom because it's the right thing to do. If you still think Corneria is out to get you… then you're an idiot. Now go. Take the cure and leave Katina. You'd better hurry because this Virus, from what I've read, is real nasty."

The other lizard got back to his feet. "It was governments like that of Katina and Corneria that allowed this Virus to exist. It justifies my lack of trust in your people."

Fara rolled her eyes. "Who's to say that it didn't come to exist by accent in a chemistry experiment? Who is to say that it didn't come from an underground mine or something like that? I can't vouch for Katina or Corneria – it's quite possible they engineered it… but if so, I've no proof to back up your claim. Now leave before I change my mind."

The reptile with the missing arm said, "I require a weapon with which to kill my colleague in the next laboratory. I will not have him lay there until the virus destroys him. All of us are already starting to suffer from fevers, cold sweats and other symptoms."

She nodded. "Thus the reason you ditched your HAZMAT suits."

Bill moved over towards Fara. "I don't even want to know what they were making in this lab. I saw cryogenic gear for, like, putting people into a frozen state indefinitely. I thought that stuff was from science fiction films."

Phoenix shrugged. "Scientists have bigger imaginations than any cinema writer. Let's get out of here. We need to head to detox and I want to spend time helping Fox's group get familiar with their gear."

"You really like him, huh?" Bill took a weapon off his leg. "Let the other three go… but these guys know we're here and will probably try to…"

Fara placed a paw on his wrist, forcing him to lower his gun. "Let them leave. This mission never existed in the first place. I'll personally contact General Pepper to figure out what the hell is going on. We were given poor intelligence and so we made misinformed decisions. The _right thing to do_ is to leave. However, we'll be ensuring these lizards leave first." She pointed towards the door. "Gentlemen, after you."

The lizard, whose arm had been removed, released the cauterized stump and knelt to reach for the remains of his arm. He scowled at Fara and Bill and crossed the laboratory. The other Venom privateer followed with the two Cornerian pilots behind him. "Where is our colleague?" asked the first.

"You're going to kill him," said Fara with a shake of her head. "If Andross is as amazing as you say he is, he should be able to repair the nerves in that man's spine. Why not give him the chance to live?"

"He'll beg for death before we arrive on Venom. Begging is disgusting and we will give him that honor before we arrive."

Fara shrugged. "Then kill him on your ship, not here. Now move." She withdrew the laser pen and took the first lizard by the stumpy bicep. She carefully used the laser pen to fix part of the missing limb where blood was starting to seep. She then released him and gave him a gentle shove, adding, "All of you are lucky that we didn't kill you boys for breaking into a quarantined military facility. Our orders were to dispatch the lot of you. So far as our superiors are concerned, you're all 'dealt with'. I suggest you boys leave stealthfully."

"Why are you showing us mercy?"

"I TOLD YOU!" Fara exclaimed. "I'm not without my humanity; leave as a team before I change my mind and decide to follow orders!"

Bill looked to his superior officer then back to the lizards, not exactly sure how to handle the situation. He moved close to Fara and whispered, "How do we know they're telling the truth to begin with?"

She murmured, "We don't," in reply, adding, "There has to be clear roles in this war. The good guys and the bad guys. Venom is in this for revenge on behalf of Andross, as well as jealousy because their world is falling apart. If we don't give them a cure to the Venom Plague, we're lowering ourselves to their standards. Yes, it doesn't help Corneria to win this war… but honor comes before duty sometimes. Leave it alone, Grey. Sometimes I wonder if Fox doesn't have the right idea to go mercenary."

"Yeah, maybe. But you tell him to join me on the front line when these guys come back with an armada. I expect you to be there, too."

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

** Katherine Monroe watched, giddy, as her new ship** was rolled out of the chop shop painting bay. It sparkled in pink and white, sitting on the rolling frame. The large oven's bay doors were wide open and heated waves blurred the open air around the fighter. She turned to the chop shop owner, Dennis, and hugged her former Space Hot-Rodder gang member. "It's _beautiful_!"

"You put a lot of work into it," said the beagle with a grin. He hooked a thumb towards the stairs that led down to the main floor of his massive shop just as an equine came up to the top step. "See Ed, here? He's a real wizard with decals. Anything you want to put onto your ship, you tell him and he'll do it. He's amazing, Katt."

She cupped the beagle's face, two years younger than her, then kissed his nose. "You're a good friend, Dennis."

"Yeah, yeah… I'm just not young enough to hold your affections."

She offered him a goofy sort of chuckle. "Did everyone in the old gang get hung up on my addiction to younger men?"

"Falco sure liked it enough," said the canine with a chuckle. "What's the limit? Four years younger? Five? Falco's nineteen now, right? He was seventeen when you threw yourself at him?"

Katt lifted her paws defensively, "Okay, okay. I get your point. What was my tell, anyhow?"

"Every man who was barely legal or younger… you'd call'em some sort'a pet name, like "Tiger" or "Sugar" or "Sweetheart" or "hon". It was pretty obvious, Katt. You'll eventually grow out of it, I'm sure. How old are you, anyhow? Mid-to-late twenties? About twenty-five? Twenty-six? And Falco is… what? Nineteen?"

She rolled her eyes and looked away. "None of your business. And I'm not nearly as close to thirty as you make it seem. And yes, Falco is nineteen. He turns twenty in less than four months. Also, I flirt with everyone to get my way in life. I'm just good natured that way."

"Right. Some sixteen-year-old boy, new to the gang, would be called 'Doll', while Frank, two years older than you, was referred to as 'sir', even though you guys were equal. Face it, Katt… you like younger men."

Monroe snorted. "Yeah, okay, okay." She cut her gaze back to the large window, watching her ship as it was drawn out of the oven way out on the mega shop's floor. "Damn my new toy looks amazing. Venom is going to pay in spades; they won't be able to touch me in this new ship. They won't be able to lock on. I'm ready to show those cold-blooded freaks a thing or two about this war."

Dennis frowned with a shake of his head. "Don't get yourself killed, Monroe." He turned to the horse and said, "Eddie, you get this girl all taken care of. She's family from way back… wayward kid's club; orphans without an orphanage, if you know what I mean. I'll pay you to do her ship's decals for free. I owe her, so treat her like our best customer, a'ite?"

"You got it, boss man." He motioned for Katt to follow. She fell into step behind the larger man. They took the stairs then crossed the epic-sized chopshop floor until they got out to the vehicle-painting oven, where her ship finally came to rest on the motorized track leading out of the heating chamber. The fresh pink paintjob came out perfectly. He noted that she was giddy and excited. "What'cha want me to put on this thing, Miss Monroe?"

She handed the equine a detailed packet of instructions then walked by him and wheeled a ladder up adjacent to the fighter. She boarded it and climbed into the cockpit, drawing in a deep breath. The freshly upholstered seat smelled like a brand new car. She wedged a photograph of Falco into the instrument panel and said, "Yeah, we broke up… you won't have a chance with me until you grow up but… one day, bird… one day your tail feathers belong to _me_."

"Miss Monroe?"

Katt squeaked in surprise. She turned to the horse that was at the top of the ladder, just outside of her cockpit. "I… yes?"

"We'd better get started. Dennis wants to shut down the shop soon because Venom patrols are starting to sweep through Meteo."

She blinked. "We're hidden inside of a large asteroid. How could they find us?"

"I don't know, Miss Monroe. They're sweeping through the asteroid belt. It's only a matter of time. Someone Dennis trusts said that Venom is using a rock crusher to blast a clear path through to Corneria to create a supply line. I'll finish your fighter but then you should leave and hide out. Where are you headed first? Anywhere safe?"

"Are you kidding?" she chided him. "I've got some things to take care of before I can wage war against Venom but… I have something on Zoness and, with or without help, I'm headed there once I'm ready. It's a very direct route to Venom, too. Zoness, however, is covered with searchlights. It's hard to get in undetected. The planet is turning to sludge and I'm pretty angry about that."

He shook his head slowly with a frown. "Good luck, Miss Monroe. All right, I'd better get started on the finishing touches to the hull. However, you may want to stay here tonight. Patrols are thick in this sector right now."

* * *

_Sixteen hours later…_

**ROB glanced back at** Fox and said, "Fara Phoenix has returned to the GreatFox hanger. I've cleared her for landing."

McCloud stood up from his seat and headed to the back of the bridge. He walked into the hallway and headed all the way to the end. The double doors to the hanger slid open and he crossed the flight deck. Fara and Slippy were engaged in conversation. She dismounted the ship onto the suspended platform that made up the fighter stalls. Fox took the stairs two at a time, up to the catwalk, and approached them. "Welcome back!"

"Hey!" She embraced Fox. The fennec still attempted to put the detoxification shower and images of the gnarled cauterized lizard arm at the back of her mind. Fara laid her head on his shoulder, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. She inhaled his scent, letting it bring her back to memories of being with Fox just the other night. "Did'ja miss me, Flyboy?"

"I did," he murmured into her ear.

Slippy shook his head with a chuckle. "I can't wait to have a girlfriend again. You guys look real happy together." He changed his tone, adding, "I'll talk to you later, Fara." He then nodded to his school hood friend and said, "Hey Fox. The Arwings are ready for a training mission. I'm going to reset Fara's flight computer, upload the training navigational waypoints and get it ready to go back out. Give me two hours before we do this training mission – I d-don't wanna stop what I'm doing right yet; I'd like to finish retreading the Land Master tank and I also have to modify Fara's Arwing and its weapons for training use. These fighters are _amazing_ and SO easy to work with."

Fara's voice was muffled against Fox's torso. "I'm glad you like'em. It makes me feel good."

Fox grinned and rested his chin on her head. "We definitely appreciate you donating five Arwings to the Star Fox family." She lifted her head to him and so he lowered his until their lips touched. McCloud wasn't a super-affectionate man because he grew up not knowing how relationships should be, but he wasn't shy around her, either. "How was your flight?"

"It was lame," she replied, adding, "While I was on Katina, I looked up your friend from the academy. I made sure he knew that you won over the affections of 'The Rich Girl'. He told me you guys even discussed me back in the academy once, when everyone was talking about, 'the rich chick that became the first female chief test pilot.' How cute – things came full circle. So…"

Fox blinked, barely remembering that conversation from the academy. Fara continued speaking without missing a beat. "Should we go to Persimmons then you can take me to the Lunar Stone Hotel? After that, maybe you can teach Mister Phoenix's rich daughter 'how to _really_ fly.' After all, I've seen you in action, so I know you can '_really_' fly." She grinned, paused then told him, "Bill has a sharp memory; he recited the conversation verbatim."

Again, Fox blinked and opened his muzzle to say something then shook his head and laughed. "Which will it be, first? Persimmons Department Store or the Lunar Stone Hotel? I'll push back the training until later. We'll tuck in the other pilots then I'll teach you how to 'really' fly. How's that?"

She offered him a mock gasp. "Why, Fox McCloud, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were _flirting with me_!" She grinned, winked then announced, "Our trip to Corneria will have to wait. You were told by General Pepper to stay away right now. Besides, you don't have to take me to all those places to win my affections. You already have them."

A soft smile crept across the mercenary's maw. "I think I love you, y'know that?" He lifted a paw, placing his finger against her lips so that she wouldn't say anything in reply. He paused for a moment then lowered his finger. "I'm okay with that if you are. Let's go get ready for today's training mission. Also, I drew up patrol schedules. Since Pepper has extended your time to stay with us… for training purposes of course… I'm sending two pilots at a time every day to patrol beyond Great Fox's sensor range."

"I thought this ship had really good range?"

Fox nodded then shook his head. "It does but using high power, long range, deep space sensors makes us show up on Venom's scanning equipment. I'm trying to stay hidden for a while. So I'm using lower power, lower range sensors. To balance it out, I'm running two-pilot patrols. However, next week I have a duty-roster layover… so, since you're an amazing, awesome pilot of the highest caliber, could you do one patrol alone?"

"That would be fine, Fox. What day?"

"Last day of the week," he replied. "I promised Slippy that we'd head to quiet area and set down in an ocean so he could run some tests. That same day, Falco wants to head to Eledard for the afternoon."

"Oh?" She led him off the flight deck. The two vulpine pilots began walking towards Fox's quarters together as they talked amongst themselves. "What's on Eladard?"

"He found out the last member of his biological family has passed away from some rare disease. There's no cure for the avian species. Anyhow, he's going there to collect some belongings, pay his respects and pick up whatever was left in the will. The state gets a majority of it… but some things _were_ left to him by default. I think the will was worded for any 'remaining Lombardi family members.' The hearing is the last day of the week, which puts us short for a two-person patrol. I mean… I promised Slippy to help him out but… what we can do is maybe figure out a time so that I can go with you."

She giggled and shook her head. "Fox, Fox, no babydoll – listen, I'll be fine, Flyboy. Don't stress it. It's a patrol, sweetheart. Don't sweat it, I'll do the patrol alone."

"Are you sure? The more I think about it, the more I'm against it."

"Hush," she said, placing a finger on his lips again. She reached her other paw to the button on the doorframe and stepped into his quarters. "Want to take a shower?"

"Pardon? Together?"

She offered a shrug. "Why not? We're young, dumb and foolish. Let's enjoy it. Be a dear; go and get the water to the right temperature, find us two towels and get everything ready, please?" She watched as he headed into the bathroom. Fara waited until the door was shut then withdrew her personal communicator and contacted General Pepper. There was a static hiss from the encryption software going active. As soon as his face was on her small screen, she said, "The end of next week, Fox is sending me out on a one-person patrol. You said something about possibly needing me to do something for you next week. Should we schedule it then, so the two missions will overlap?"

"That's a fantastic idea, Fara. Remember, not a word to anyone about earlier – I'm sorry your debriefing lasted four hours. I'll get back to you." Pepper's visual disappeared from the screen. Phoenix put the communicator back into her jacket's inside pocket then disrobed and headed through Fox's living room and into his bathroom. She stepped in then wrapped her arms around him from behind, nuzzling his shoulder. "Nervous?"

"Well, no not really," said Fox with a knowing smile. He faced the shower control panel, programming the dual showerheads in the stall. "I mean… after the other night… I'm finally over the whole 'nervous' thing. But I _am_ excited," he told her with a playful hip bump. "I think I figured out the options menu on this panel. You ready?" He turned around in her arms, coming face to face with the vixen clad only in her undergarments. His grin broadened. "I'd say you are."

"I'd say I am," she murmured in reply. "You're not affectionate all that often… today you are… I like it. I could get used to this; you act like you missed me or something, Fox. Maybe I should disappear _more_ so I can see this side of you _more_ _often_."

"You want to see me affectionate? I'll try to do my best." He gestured towards the shower stall. "Let's take a while, huh? Our Arwing training mission doesn't start for another two hours."

"I'll do _my_ best to train you boys so that you can handle almost anything in the Arwing. From G-Diffuser stall-out problems and how to evade enemies while it reboots… all the way to …whatever you might encounter. Right now, though, let's talk about _relationship training_." She waggled her brows suggestively then placed her paws against his chest and shoved him firmly until he was in the shower stall. "Welcome to 'Relationship 201', Fox McCloud. Let's begin our 'training session', shall we?" She stepped in with him and pulled the translucent panel shut. "First lesson – we women sometimes prefer the man to take control and make the first move. Be the aggressor, sometimes – it makes us ladies feel wanted."

Fox grinned and reached for her, pulling her body close to his. He stood there, in the shower, fully clothed. His paws slid down her back, until they came to the clasp of her bra strap. He carefully eased both metallic hooks and dropped the brazier to the tiled floor. "How am I doing so far, instructor?"

"So far so good," she replied with a grin.

* * *

**A spotlight illuminated the Cats Paw **at the center of the flight deck. Simulation chaff poured off the back like flecks of light from a sparkler. They bounced on the deck then fizzled out. The glowing glitter effect attracted attention, drawing more eyes than Katt was used to having on her.

Knelt over the hull with a panel open on the back, Katt stood up and placed a paw on the stabilizer fin and waved to amuse herself. Several dock workers turned away, while a few waved back. Others didn't respond. She knelt back to the maintenance hatch and began tinkering again. She called down to the man beneath her ship. "How is the consistency, Dennis?"

The beagle shouted up to her over the ambient noise of the flight deck, "It's just right! Go ahead and seal it up. Let's get you in the air, unless you plan on staying another night."

"Hey, last night was a fluke," she hollered back. "I intended to leave but didn't wanna get spotted by their patrols that were in the sector last night. Are the skies clear?"

"The skies are clear tonight. They're still all over the asteroid field but… they're at the outer rim. You should be able to slip out if you plot your course carefully, keep your running lights off and stay out of the sunlight. Keep your chaff-sparkles off until you're in a combat situation."

Monroe replaced the square panel and secured it. She crawled back up to the cockpit and turned off the virtual chaff. The feline made her way back down to the deck and approached Dennis then hugged him tightly. "All right, hon, I'd better get going, then. We ex-Space Hot Rodders gotta' stick together. If I see Falco, I'll tell him you said hi. Thanks for being family." They embraced.

He gave her a firm pat on the back then motioned to her ship. "It's a great machine you've got, here. Take care of it; don't scratch it up."

"Thanks again." She leaned in and kissed the side of his face. "Just take care of yourself, okay? If Venom tries to move in on your business, don't let'em boss you around. You call me if they try anything."

"I'll call you at the first sign of trouble, okay?" Dennis walked over to a control panel on a nearby pillar and opened the main bay doors. The force field glowed in the open area; beyond, asteroids floated about in the near distance. Occasionally, one would bounce off the invisible energy shields surrounding the camouflage space station. He waved at her. "I'll miss seeing your pretty face, Monroe. Falco's a lucky guy to have your affections. If you ever get over him, call me up."

She made her way back up to her cockpit and glanced over her shoulder at him. The feline flitted her tail flirtatiously. "Be good, Dennis. Take care of yourself, puppy love. You're a good guy and you'll meet a nice girl one day. Don't wait around for me, though." She sank down into the cockpit and pulled the canopy shut. She powered up her engines but kept her running lights off. They gave one another a final wave then she hit the throttle and left.

* * *

**The light of Solar and the light of Lylat peeked in unison **over the upper hemisphere of Papetoon's North Pole. Fox cut his gaze back to his sensors, narrowing his eyes. "I don't see anything. Falco, Slippy, do you guys have ANYthing?"

Slippy sounded frustrated. "If we did, we'd tell you. Calm down. Fara and Peppy are probably hiding in the upper atmosphere, using the electromagnetic properties of Papetoon's North Pole to hide their electronic signature. Be ready for anything."

"It's like they just disappeared," murmured Falco. "They were here one second and now… nothing. I'd like to know how they pulled it off. Then again, if I was up against the dream team, Fox and Falco, I'd be hiding too."

"Nice ego, Falco," replied Slippy. "They're close, I can feel it."

Fox exhaled slowly through his nose. "Yeah. They're near. Be ready for anything, guys. We cannot let them win, no matter what."

"At this p-p-point, I'd settle for a stalemate."

Falco leaned forward in his cockpit seat, looking out into the void. "I trust my eyes more than I trust the scanners, right now. I say we try to draw'em out of hiding. If their trail disappeared right _here_, then this should have been the center of the ambush. But the skies are clear. Slippy, you should head towards the planet and take some readings or something… Fox and I will cover you and strike at them when they come out at you."

"Stick together," said Fox in a firm tone. "Keep formation. We can cover one another better this way."

"Stick to formation," repeated Falco in a chiding, sarcastic tone. "Stick to formation!" he repeated in the same way. "Formation will get all three of us KILLED, if they came at us with a Nova Bomb, Fox."

"Nobody uses a Nova Bomb on only three fighters. It's a waste of serious ordinance. You save that sorta' thing for ten-plus groups, cruiser class ships or enemies larger than a dreadnought."

"I don't see anything," murmured Toad. "It's like they've disappeared. I _could_ bounce a sensor sweep wave off of GreatFox, have ROB amplify it and do a higher power search, since we'd have GreatFox available to us in a real-world scenario, too."

"It could attract attention," said Fox. "Just keep your eyes open, everyone."

"HERE THEY COME!" shouted Falco, breaking to attack before Fox could react or respond. Falco punched the boost and said, "C'mere, you two! I've got this; watch and learn guys!" He blazed towards the moon over Papetoon and opened fire, while Fox and Slippy still couldn't see anything on their sensors. They moved to pursue and hit the boosters to hurry.

"Falco I don't see…!" Slippy's voice was interrupted by a proximity alarm in his cockpit, harmonized by the one in Fox and Falco's cockpits, over the open channel.

Lombardi shouted again. "DAMN!"

Fox glanced at his sensor display, watching as Falco's ship turned from a blue blip to a gray one. Slippy's blip cut away from Falco evasively. By the time Fox lifted his head, a holographic marker on Fox's canopy showed that Slippy was at fifty percent shield level and dropping rapidly. "FOX! HELP ME!"

McCloud brought his ship about and powered up his weapons. Slippy's ship came into view of his cone of fire. The two small fins on his hull lined up; the vulpine pilot gazed down the nose cone and hit his boosters. The afterburner trail flaired out behind his Arwing and it tripled in speed in an instant. "I'm coming, buddy!"

The Heads Up Display showed that Slippy's shields lowered to thirty-five percent. Slippy cut back across, passing in front of Fox to give his wing mate a clear view of the attacker. Peppy's Arwing streaked by in front of Fox, giving the youth a clear shot. He opened fire on Peppy Hare's ship with his lower-power virtual blasters. Several shots glanced off of the lapin's shield bubble, bringing him down to a simulated sixty percent.

Slippy's shields lowered to the upper teens. He zig-zagged the way he'd learned in the academy but Peppy was ready. The veteran pulled up to gain position then eased his nose back down, attacking the amphibian from above. Slippy's ship displayed a flashing 'ZERO PERCENT' on Fox's HUD; the next blue marker on Fox's scope turned gray.

Fara opened fire on McCloud who was in pursuit of Peppy. The eighteen-year-old pilot gritted his teeth, trying not to grow frustrated. He banked from left to right and barrel rolled, repelling her shots. The blaster rounds glanced off, redirected away from his fighter. He pulled a loop but Fara mirrored him, remaining on his tail. Next, Fox tried a split-S maneuver – he rolled over then cut a vertical 'U' with a half-loop. Fara and Peppy came about in unison, parallel to one another on Fox's tail.

Falco's voice came over the channel, sounding irritated but equally snarky. "Okay, Slippy. Place your bets – you can bet on who takes down Fox, Peppy or Fara. You can also put additional bets down on time, rounded to the closest minute in increments of five."

Toad rolled his eyes. "My money is on Fara in five minutes or less."

"My money is on Fara," repeated Falco, adding, "I give Fox more than five minutes but less than ten. If Peppy wins, we'll go by time."

Peppy's voice came over the channel. "If Peppy wins, _I_ collect _all_ earnings from this bet," he told them.

"If Fox wins," said McCloud, pausing at the end. He took a moment to think of something good.

Fara cut in, finishing his sentence. "…Fara will cook you a home meal two nights in a row. The whole team. If I win, Fox cooks _me_ breakfast, lunch _and_ dinner. JUST me." Her voice had a hint of challenge to it; she punctuated her statement by opening fire on McCloud.

Fox double-tapped his rudder pedal but not before taking a single shot from Phoenix's blasters. His shields lowered to ninety-five percent; his Arwing repelled the rest of her blaster volley.

"C'mon Fox!" cried Slippy. "I want three nights of home cooking WAY more than I want a fist full of credits from Falco! G-g-go Fox, you can do it!"

"I admit," added Falco, "I want three nights of good food way more than I want Slippy's sofa change."

In an eerily calm voice, Fox said, "Everyone be quiet." He continued to zig-zag and roll but eased off the throttle to allow Peppy and Fara to catch up. He waited until they were only a few hundred meters behind him. McCloud slammed on his retro-reverse rockets for a hard brake. Fara and Peppy also hit their brakes but not before their momentum carried their fighters in front of Fox. Once in his cone of fire, he mashed down on his blasters as quickly as his thumb could move.

Fara's shields lowered to eighty-five percent before she could start a barrel roll, while Peppy's already-damaged shields dropped to forty percent. Fara cut hard into a U-turn while Peppy looped back in a wide-arced somersault. Fox could only chase one or the other. He knew Peppy's flying style because he'd flown with the Rabbit for so many years and so he chose to follow Hare.

Peppy cut to the left and Fox was ready for it. He fired high and Peppy began a barrel roll. As soon as Hare came out of his roll, Fox opened fire. The first of his blaster shots bounced off the last spin of Peppy's Arwing, but the next several rounds struck Peppy's Arwing, knocking him out of the running.

Fox's cockpit flashed red from Fara's attacks. He started to move into a barrel roll but only managed to deflect half of her attack, bringing him down to fifty percent shields.

"I've got thirty-five percentage points more than you, Fox," she said in a playfully chiding tone. "It's been three minutes, Slippy and Falco."

"C'mon, Fox!" The voice belonged to Peppy Hare.

"Hey! Same team," replied Fara in semi-laughter.

Peppy grinned and said, "Three days of hot, fresh, home cookin'. I'm a man, Fara; it's one of the things I miss the most about civilianized style living."

"Yeah, yeah – I hope you boys like frozen T.V. dinners!" She hit the boost just as Fox hit his brakes to try his last maneuver for a second time. The Arwings collided, bringing Fox's shields down to twenty-two percent. Fara's shields dropped to forty-five percent. She pumped her thumb on the blaster button, firing around Fox from the proximity of their fighters. One round struck alongside of his hull, lowering him to eighteen percent.

Fox cut a loop and Fara cut a U-turn, heading away from him. Fox began a turn. The fennec cut her engines and turned hard. Drifting backwards, she opened up on her blasters, striking Fox twice, head on. He began a barrel roll. His danger alarm began a constant tone in his cockpit; the readout displayed, 'EIGHT PERCENT' for his shields. Fox gritted his teeth. "I'm the hungriest of my whole team," he growled, hitting the boost.

Fara came about, powered up her forward-mounted cannons and watched as Fox began a barrel roll. She waited, counting the rotations. After the tenth one, she released the shot-charge button. A green glowing round streaked through the void. Fox's barrel roll concluded and he reached his foot forward again to prepare for another. Just as his foot touched the rudder pedal again, her charged round struck his Arwing. The shield display on his HUD showed, "Negative SEVEN percent."

"NO!" shouted Falco, Peppy and Slippy in unison. Fox mirrored their sentiment in a soft whisper of defeat.

Fara performed a victory loop, combined with a barrel roll for show. "I'm at _forty-five percent_, Peppy!"

Falco grunted. "What's that supposed to mean, Phoenix?"

Peppy sighed. "We had a bet going, too, Falco. We had different parameters than your bet," he added, continuing in a disappointed tone of voice. "I bet Fara a box of my best scotch that she wouldn't have more than forty percent shields."

"You still drink?" asked Fox.

Fara's visual showed up on the dash panel. "No, it's aged well because he gave it up. I'm not a big drinker but Peppy used to be a classy drinker and he has 'the good stuff'. I'll enjoy it with my meal, Fox McCloud." She smiled brightly.

Overtop of one another, Fox said, "Dammit," in unison to Peppy murmuring a cussword, which prompted a giggle from the fennec.

Fara's visual returned to the team's dashboard display. "Let's return to Great Fox, boys. I want to go over the flight tapes so we can learn from our mistakes."

"Do we have to?" asked Falco.

"Yes," replied Fara. "It's part of the training. Falco, you were the _first_ to get shot down, so it's doubly-mandatory for you. What I mean by that is… you need to see me after class."

"…Oh man."

Slippy chortled with glee. "For once, I d-didn't get shot down _first_!" He rocked his flight yoke from left to right, causing the fighter to wobble a little, as if dancing around in it.

Fox chuckled softly. "And you put up a hell of a fight, Slippy. You also had Peppy cross my path so I could take him down. You did real good, bud. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks Fox," replied the frog with a smile. "Falco, remember the rules?"

Lombardi groaned. "Yeah, yeah… first to be shot down is last to land."

Fox broke into a rather rare belly laugh. "And, if I remember correctly, the last one to land has to wash the fighters! I guess we'll all go to the Rec Room and hang out – class starts when Falco is finished giving the Arwings a bath. Okay, team, head back to Great Fox. Winning team lands first, Slippy is next, I'll set down next and Falco is last." A pause, then he said, "ROB! Open the bay doors – we're coming home."

"You're all cleared for landing," replied the piloting droid.

"Slippy," said Falco, "As soon as possible, I want you to download a personality emulation program for that thing. He annoys the hell out of me. Give him a sarcastic attitude or something. I want something I can relate to since I can't relate to any of _you_ guys."

"Yeah," Slippy retorted with an eye-roll. "I'll get right on that."

"Actually," Peppy cut in. "That's not such a bad idea. Giving Rob a little personality makes him more of a family member. It wouldn't be so bad to occasionally receive a little feedback from him. Getting your average robot to offer their point of view is like pulling teeth. A sarcastic person, on the other hand, is usually quick to point things out… just don't make him _too_ sarcastic."

"I… guess," said the frog. "I'm just glad I did better today than I did a few days ago. I'm getting a little better with the teamwork bit. I did what you guys said – I led my attacker back towards Fox so he could more easily help me."

"You did good," said Fox. "We run the simulation again tonight after dinner."

Both Falco and Slippy groaned. Fox ignored the whining and told his team, "We do it two times a day every chance we get. We have to be ready at a moment's notice. We fight each other until it's time to fight Venom. We fight until we can't fight anymore. We fight until one side is a clear winner. If it's not _our_ side, we keep fighting the way we fought on Papetoon. We push back until Andross' forces either quit or fail."

Peppy was quietly impressed by Fox's determination, Fara was proud and attracted to his passion, Slippy was inspired by his school-hood friend's desire to overcome all odds and Falco cracked a slight smile at his chum's spark of inner fight. No one spoke. The team fell into a 'v' pattern formation behind McCloud, following him back to the Great Fox dreadnought. The team had a long day left ahead but Fox actually looked forward to a rematch.

* * *

**I'm in a weird mood… I think I'll share what's on my mind regarding my plans for this story… If you plan on reviewing the chapter, go ahead and do it NOW, because I doubt you'll remember whatever it is you wanted to say about it by the time you get to the end of this Author's Note, LOL. **

**A/N:**_ Okay, no cliffhanger for this chapter. I just wanted to tie up some loose ends. I wanted to end the chapter by painting a picture of Fox's devotion to victory. He's pushing his team harder than the military pilots, using advanced fighters that the military is still only testing at this point of time. Pepper is 'lending' Fara to Fox and Peppy's team because his hands are otherwise tied – he's not allowed to mount a preemptive offensive against Venom forces, so he's decided to aid Star Fox's advancement. I'm also trying to tie up small things, like how ROB gets his sarcastic personality later on… like how Slippy goes from stuttering A LOT in the comic and the SNES version of the game… and, quite suddenly, he doesn't stammer AT ALL. Of course, I take a different angle with that in the story, "Similar Paths Taken," lol! But in this series, Slippy simply grows out of it as he matures and gains some self confidence and more control over that big ole' amphibian tongue of his. I also tie up things with Bill. He told Fara, 'Tell Fox to join us on the front lines when he gets his crap in order.' And, later, in the game, when you enter the Katina level, he starts off by saying, "FOX! Ya made it!" As if both relieved and surprised by Star Fox's presence. Katt's sections in this chapter may have felt 'forced' and that's because they were... I'm doing the chapter chronologically today, and that's what was happening at the time on the other side of Lylat. More on her later, I promise. I'll even do some Falco and Katt romance (and general tension between them relating to Falco returning to help Fox over the skies of Sauria) at some point. Needless to say, I'm also tying up Pepper's reasons for having Fox no where near Corneria at the beginning of SF-64. _

_Now, think about this logically for a second… does Pepper think Fox and his team are capable of defeating Venom right off the bat? That depends. If you'd asked Pepper a few chapters back, he would have said, "No. They're here to help us test our new prototype – I know Fox can handle dizziness because his father put him in the gravity training machine from a young age." But then Fox pushes back the Venom forces. Pepper is impressed. Next, Fox, Fara and Falco steal Arwings and use the wormhole to attack Venom by surprise. They deal a major blow to Venom's planetary defenses. Pepper would have had a fit over the theft but… Team StarFox returned the fighters intact AND had a victorious mission. Then, if you followed the comic series, you'll notice that I had Fox and Fara talk amongst themselves about how Venom attacked Papetoon, which mostly mirrors the comic from the 1992-3 Nintendo Power issues. I addressed the whole "Andross Clone" story arc, too, by having the Imperial lizards tell Fara that it's rumored Andross had a look-alike body guard get defeated on Papetoon then flee, only to disappear in the black hole / wormhole. But Andross is alive (we see him in SF: Adventures, after all) and now he has StarWolf donning advanced fighters to protect Venom. _

_As of now, Pepper realizes the potential of an Arwing squadron with pilots like Fox, Peppy and Falco. Does he think that Star Fox can bring system-wide peace to Lylat? Probably not. But he knows that a tiny little squadron has a good chance of slipping through the cracks in Venom's defenses. That's why Star Fox is HIS trump card. _

_As it stands, we all know that Star Fox will win, system-wide peace will occur and Fox will be given out table scraps so that they can survive. Star Wolf goes out of business and changes format. They're mercenaries, hired by Andross, in SF-64… they're organized businessmen running a pirate ring and living off of contraband and crime by the time SF: Assault comes around. No doubt, mercenaries hate Fox McCloud for the decade leading up to the Aparoid invasion because there is no work. Arms dealers probably hate Star Fox, too. Of course, that means I have PLENTY of exciting adventures to write about in the chapters that come after the war is finally over. Plus, Fay and Miyu will join Fox for a while. _

_Star Fox will spend the next year fighting back against Andross' remnants, using the Land Master and Arwing Bombers seen in the unreleased SF2. They'll clean up Eladard. Instead of targeting Venom, they'll attack a starbase near Venom. After that, the Venom economy will collapse and the lizards will hate Star Fox for making them poor again. The Anglars will eventually take that planetary-wide harbored ill-will and strike out against the rest of Lylat, which happens in SF: Command. _

_Miyu was initially designed to be Fox's girlfriend from what I understand… so after Fara dies, Fox WILL have a short-lasting romance with Miyu. I've already thought up how it will play out. In the end, Miyu will tell Fox that he's NOT over Fara… and that she refuses to date a man who's heart is invested in another, living or otherwise. She'll break up with Fox. Eventually, Fox will start to feel alone… eight years will pass before he even MEETS Krystal in person. He'll have LONG forgotten about his boyhood dreams of the blue vixen because of a hard life leading up to his mid twenties and the fateful Sauria mission. He'll be a little jaded by then and, as we see him in SF: Adventures, he'll be a little more pressed about money because the team is broke by that point. _

_After all, by the time it happens, Fay and Miyu will have quit, Falco will have quit to spend some time with Katt, Peppy will be too old to fly and Fox will be sick of bachelor life. Slippy will be working a part-time job on Corneria, inventing stuff… just to provide food for the aging GreatFox's depressed crew. _

_Peppy, by then, will start sleeping his days away, quietly depressed about the death of Vivian. Meanwhile, his little girl will be attending a University on Fichina, getting her degrees so that she can become an Astrophysics teacher. SO! When Fox FINALLY meets Krystal, you'll ALL UNDERSTAND why he's so nervous and reluctant around her! He lost Fara and blamed himself for her assumed death, he was dumped by Miyu and told NOT to date anyone until he's fully OVER Fara. He'll drag his feet for TWO YEARS with Krystal before his mating instincts become too difficult to fight. THEN! Krystal is put into danger a few times and, at some point during the course of their relationship, memories of Fara's death, Miyu's sharp parting words and childhood memories of Vivian's conversation with him, which takes place earlier in this story, will convince Fox that he needs to fire Krystal from Star Fox, so that she's not in danger anymore. _

_WE ALL KNOW how Krystal takes the rejection. She holds a grudge and begins dating Panther just to spite her ex-boyfriend… yet she doesn't even tell him. She does it to feel better about herself… The Anglars attack Lylat and Fox eventually finds out his ex-GF's dating status… HARSH! _

_I plan to merge several endings of SF: Command. _

_For those of you who have played it, you already know the first time you beat the game you're shocked by the default ending. Krystal rejoins the Star Fox team, they win and there will be a welcome home celebration where Lucy and Peppy will get close again, Fox and Krystal will start a relationship again but take things slow, and I'll even write out the scene where the characters talk overlooking the Corneria Capital City bay, as seen in one of the COMMAND endings… but then, after about a month or two, she returns to Panther. THAT WILL HAPPEN because THAT is the initial default ending. However… it won't last long. Panther already feels betrayed that Krystal left'em high and dry two months prior. The two will resume dating but Krystal will sense that Panther doesn't trust her. If she goes out shopping, he'll suspect that she's seeing Fox secretly. _

_Eventually, Krystal will admit to herself that she DOES in fact love Fox still. She'll return to him and rejoin SF. Upon her return, she'll learn that Amanda has joined the team. She'll learn that Dash Bowman will temporarily become an important figurehead of Venom. It won't last forever, though, because he returns as an older man in REFLECTIONS OF A NEW GENERATION and tricks Marcus, ultimately becoming Marcus McCloud's nemesis. _

_EVENTUALLY, the story will lead into Fox and Krystal retiring together and having a son, just like in the SF: Command ending… But because I wrote myself into a slight hole with Reflections of a New Generation, which started before SF: Command was announced, he'll be named STAR and, later, change his name to MARCUS. _

_OKAY! Now you all know how I plan to tie this storyline together and why! You all see why Fox will act the way he does towards Krystal. He'll be confident with Fara and Miyu but lack confidence around Krystal, afraid of rejection and loss… Not to mention having lost confidence in himself as a romantic following eight years of being single. _

_Just imagine how shaky his self-confidence will be (regarding women) when he finds out that Krystal is dating Panther years down the road… _

_Fox has a tough road ahead of him. This is going to be a long story (Although I'll be skipping ahead at certain parts because… we don't need to re-iterate what happens to him during the time frames of REFLECTIONS OF KRYSTAL and REFLECTIONS OF THE FUTURE.) and there's a lot left to tell! :D_

_At first I'd planned to END it the day that Fox finds out Krystal is pregnant with his child… but then I thought… maybe you guys want to see how Fox and Krystal work through Fox's worry for her safety… how they struggle through… and later strengthen their marriage… and how Fox and Krystal will raise the baby for the first few years of his life… Maybe I'll end REFLECTIONS OF FOX with something else, instead… It's conceivable that Fox and Krystal will struggle a little bit… then something (a mission maybe?) will happen where they're forced to become close again… and I can end it with them renewing their vows… it could be cute, right? Have Star McCloud be a toddler ring bearer or something… Maybe have them find a rose on the alter with a note saying, "Mister McCloud… you'd better make her happy this time around… else this rose will be for you," signed by Panther, haha. None of this is set in stone or anything… But it's a general idea for an outlined plan and… in my opinion, I think it will tie up all the loose-endedness. I'm also quite curious how SHADOWS OF LYLAT will turn out, as it encompasses a storyline during the 8 years between SF-64 and SF: Adventures. But Fay and Miyu will not be in it, so if I tie into that… it'll happen either before they join or after they leave. _

_I dunno the exact details of this story's future… whatever, right? OKAY! Next chapter will have more romance and lead into Fara's next gig for General Pepper… stuff! All you FOX AND FARA fans better gobble up their romance and enjoy it while you can! Change is in the wind! _

_As always, I'm very chatty! Feel free to drop me a line via email (my fave!) or FFnet Private Message system! Leave feedback reviews for the chapters! Good or bad, mean or nice, stern or friendly, I like talking to people. Don't think you can't talk to me – I love talking to readers. I've made so many good friends over the last few years. There's always room to make more! _

_-Kit Karamak (aka Ken Weaver)_

_Wednesday, November 11__th__ 2009 (American Veteran's Day – Fly your flags at half mast today!) _


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: _To all my American readers… HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Now go eat a big home-cooked meal! Okay… let me tell you where I'm going with series real quick: I'm rereading the series. I'm now knee deep in Reflections of a New Generation… chapter 11 to be exact, heh. (The story has SO many loopholes and hiccups and so much passive-tense wording and… ugh, lol. Sometimes I'll use the same word, like 'down' or 'suddenly' five or six times in a single paragraph. Yuck.) I'm looking forward to working on Reflections of Marcus – I know what I want to do with the story now and it has a lot to do with what the Oracle was telling him in that chapter; I've even decided which one of Marcus' children is going to make that 'ultimate sacrifice' for his brother and sister. Even if I never write that story, if you really want to know just PM me. Suffice to say, it'll make perfect sense when I explain it. Anyhow, the Oracle tells Marcus that he'll defeat an enemy that will go dormant for a long time. It'll be up to his children to work together to defeat it for good. She also told Marcus it would become quite a fight – a truly evil foe. Anyhow, it's time for me to start bringing in the badness for that story. Finally, I'll be finishing the Sly Cooper stuff around Christmas time. I know I said in Dawn of Progeny and Détente that I would kick off January with ALL original stories (posted on the sister site, FictionPress dot com, using Kit-Karamak) but I want to finish Reflections of Fox and Marcus, first. So… yeah. It'll happen soon but yeah. Don't get me wrong, I plan to finish ALL my fanfiction stories but anyhow. Yes, even my Castlevania one. Yes, even The Curse, Nothing Passed Tomorrow, Similar Paths Taken… Everything. I always finish what I start eventually. Also, as always, all my romance scenes only go to PG13. Remember Top Gun from the 80's? There was a sex scene in that but it was still PG13. What you show is what earns a movie its labeled rating. Thus, I am keeping this story rated T for teen, as I'm only showing romance and heavy flirting and making innuendo and 'suggestion' to the reader as to what happens or is happening in a scene. OH, yeah, and kissing. That stuff is kinda' important to romance. I will not show anything more on Fan Fiction Net (and that's why so many of you ask me for unedited scenes showing more gore, more cussing and more sex. You hedonistic people, you! xD). Even though I will never portray the actual act of love making in a scene on THIS SITE, I won't disappoint as much as Harlequin, either. Rawr!  
_

_:D_

_That's all for now! After THIS chapter, I'll do some more of Marcus McCloud's story. _

* * *

Chapter -17-  
"_Romeo and Juliet"_

**"Congratulations, Fox,"**said the fennec with a sly grin. She stepped off the last step of the metallic ladder and approached McCloud. She reached a paw up to him. He took her wrist and slid down the side of his Arwing, dropping to his feet on the flight deck. Fara opened her arms to him. "You guys had a resounding victory today."

McCloud drew her into his arms. "I'm proud of Slippy and Falco. They're finally learning teamwork." Fox reached his left forearm beneath her legs and lifted her from the deck plating. "I know we haven't been dating very long but I felt it's time I actually say _I love you_, Fara. I'm rushing into this; that's what you're going to say. I don't care. I told myself I'm not going to say it until the day that me and the boys defeat you and Peppy."

Fara's tail fluffed up from getting goosebumps. She suddenly felt herself become shy and girly. She felt butterflies in her stomach. "It's '_the boys and I_', Fox." She was in love and, after all this time, she finally got to hear it from him. Not only that, he said it first… and it was unprompted.

"We pirates don't use proper grammar and syntax." He held her close, grinning at the way she hid her face into his neck. He'd never seen Fara act coy and it made him feel powerful. The pilot carried her off the deck. The double doors slid open. He passed through them then headed to his quarters. "I've never felt this way about someone. It actually feels _really_ good to tell you. Falco says love holds you down on the ground and roots you but… for me this is liberating. I feel like I can fly faster and better when you're watching."

Fara waited until they were safely in his quarters. She lifted her head from his fur and met his gaze. "I fell in love with a scoundrel. But Pepper was wrong about you."

"Yeah?" he murmured softly. "How so?" His voice was nearly a whisper.

"You're not mangy," she told him with a smile. The room melted away and he became her entire world. The vixen's ears eased back, her whiskers lay along her muzzle and she purred softly at the base of her throat. Not expecting it, she fell from his arms with a squeak of surprise. Her body fell into the soft cushion of his bed. Fara blinked then glanced around. Realizing that she was now in his bed, she churred softly, grinning up at him. "Aren't _you_ forward."

"You like when I take charge?" He knelt over her, placing his paws on her shoulders. He guided her flat on her back and ran his fingers up over her outer thigh. His right paw moved to her left, lifting it and pinning it to the mattress above her head. His lips met hers firmly.

Fara arched her back a bit and lifted her right leg, hooking it around his back. She grew excited by the kiss and shuddered with desire and adrenaline. Her paw struggled against his yet the sensation of him being in control was delightful and refreshing. Her tail began to beat against the mattress by her hip. Fara's heart raced wildly.

Sensual yet stern, his touch was filled with meaning and emotion yet his eyes were stoic and expressionless. After all this time of admiring his 'bad boy mercenary' personality in the training field, she was finally getting to see it in bed and her excitement escalated further. Fara's body hummed and she felt overheated. She broke into a light sweat.

Fox's free paw continued up her leg. It moved to her flat tummy and he began to manipulate the fastenings of her clothing. The cool air met her flesh and fur, providing instant relief. Her scent, the sweat and otherwise, tantalized Fox's senses.

Her own nose twitched and she lifted her head a bit, brushing her muzzle into his neckline. Fara inhaled deeply of his masculinity. "Are… you wearing cologne, Fox?" she asked in a low, husky tone. He shook his head and her brows furrowed with confusion. "Really? You smell _so good_. Like intoxicatingly sweet – delicious even."

"Just a little sweat from flying all morning."

"I… was going to tell you to wear it more often," she told him.

"I'll wear it for you every time you want to make me break a sweat," he replied. His paw continued up her shirt until it was open. His fingertips met her neck then trailed down over her torso, exploring her body in a way far more sensual than their past trip to his bedroom. He leaned down and kissed her with intense passion.

The sensuality and passion of his actions caused her to gasp against his lips. She parted her maw, meeting his kiss needfully. His teasing touch and his firmness had her all riled up. She felt his lips trail down her jawline to her neck and collarbone; Fara lifted her head to give him better access to her throat, a sign of submission to his advances. "God, Fox…" She released a breathy sigh then told him, "I love you. God I love you."

Fox snagged her free paw and pinned it next to the other, above her head. "I love _you_," he said then kissed her lips again. Both her legs now lifted. She encircled his waist and pulled him down to her until their bodies were flush against one another. She locked her ankles at the small of his back, just above the hilt of his tail. True love was in the air. Fox broke the kiss, lifted his head and gazed into her eyes. With a tone of confidence, he said, "I want to make love to you."

Teased and romanced by his wiles, she nodded emphatically, arching her back and body off the mattress to press herself to him. "God yes, please!"

McCloud grinned, feeling the confidence well up in his chest. "Say that again."

"God yes," she repeated herself.

"No," he murmured. "The other word."

"…Please?" she whispered.

"Louder," he told her.

"Please, Fox… please."

Fox smiled. "Now _that_ is hot. Say it again, Fara."

Feeling both smitten and giddy mixed with lustful and needy, she lifted her head and, in her sexiest voice, she breathed the word into his ear. "…_Please_, Fox. _Please_," she begged.

* * *

**"Don't you dare**," said Peppy with a chuckle. He took Falco by the forearm and gave a tug.

The falcon turned about and tilted his head. "Again? I didn't even think those two would last."

Hare shrugged. "Falco, just because you got tired of Katt doesn't mean Fox will get tired of Fara. Besides, you two were on and off for ages, right? You even lived together with other gang members, right?"

"Yeah," muttered the avian. "I think she was just a phase."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "She's an older woman, so it was different." Falco ran his fingers back through the ruffled and unruly blue feathers upon his head. "She's cool and all, but… I don't know. Older women have all these little nicknames for younger guys. Hey tiger this, Falco-sugar that… But we both wanted to be in charge; it's complicated, man."

"I know _all about_ complicated relationships, Falco. Speaking of that, I'm all packed and ready to go."

"Where?" The voice belonged to Slippy. Falco and Peppy glanced back to the frog, brows raised at him. Slippy blinked twice. "What?" He blinked again then clapped his hands together. "Oh! Right! I forgot you were going home to see Vivian and Lucy! How long are you staying?"

Peppy released Falco's wrist and turned to pat Slippy on the shoulder. "You're getting much better with your stammering. I'm proud of you. Listen, they moved to Fichina and I'll be gone for three days. Fox will refuse to bother me while I'm with family no matter what happens… I've even stressed to him that communication is important but he said he refuses to tear me away from my time with my girls… so if you guys come under attack… I want one of _you_ boys to call me. Don't forget."

"Are you going to say goodbye to Fox?" asked Slippy. He began to head down the hallway until Peppy grabbed him by the bicep. "Ack, what?"

Falco sighed. "He and Fara were spotted going back to Fox's room together."

"Yeah?" Slippy leaned in as if to try and absorb the gossip.

Peppy quirked his brows. "Yeah. Fox carried her into his room about forty minutes ago. Leave it alone. I won't have them bothered. Fox knows I'm leaving. There's no need to bug him."

"Those two are getting awfully kissy-kissy. Personally," Falco rolled his eyes and looked away then continued, "…if you ask me, Fox was way more manly before she came into the picture. Isn't she military? Shouldn't she be flying on Corneria or something?"

Slippy turned to Falco, pulling out of Peppy's grip. He gave Lombardi a firm shove. "Leave'em alone. It's awesome that they're being so romantic. I'm happy for Fox and if you're his friend you should be happy for him, too."

"It's sissy crap. Star Fox doesn't have time for a mushy leader. How can you be both a family man _and_ a warrior? You're either a lover or a fighter, not both. Look at Peppy? He's got a wife and a daughter… is he with them? No, he's here to bare arms and to take a stand. Now _that_ is manly. That's some macho crap right there, frog. He's got his priorities straight. You can't let yourself get distracted when you're on the battlefield. I respect_ed_ Fox so much through our time at the academy because he didn't cloud his head with all that frilly… girly… stupid crap."

Peppy shook his head. "Falco, I've been on a battlefield. I've been in battle. I've been a full-time husband. Trust me, being in love is the manliest thing you can do. Stop fighting your feelings about that girl on Eladard. You're the one making it complicated. You'll figure it out one day when you're a little more mature. Now… if you'll both pardon me… I've got to get going. It's time to go be a _real_ man for the next three days." He gave Falco a hard, macho slap on the back then turned and walked down the hall. He called back over his shoulder, "And _don't_ bother Fox unless GreatFox comes under attack. I mean it. He's following my advice."

Once alone, Falco turned to Slippy and shrugged. "What's that even supposed to mean?"

Slippy groaned and threw his arms up. "What does Peppy _always_ say to Fox?"

Falco blinked at Slippy's dramatic reaction. "…To do a barrel roll? How the hell does that even apply, here?"

In a mock dialect, the frog announced, "_Follow your instincts, Fox!_ He's in his room being instinctual _right now_; god you can be _so_ dense, sometimes."

"_I'm_ dense? ME? Look who is talking, frogface!"

"I _am_ a frog. Stop saying that, it's _not_ an insult to me, stupid!"

"STUPID?" Falco whirled about, facing Slippy with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah! Stupid!" Slippy grinned broadly, kicked Falco in the shin then pivoted on his heel and broke into a hard run, using his powerful legs to hop every so many steps.

Lombardi blinked in sudden realization then reached behind himself and felt something against his fingers. He curled them shut into a fist, catching a piece of paper between his ring and middle finger. He gave a tug – tape disconnected from the back of his shirt and he furrowed his brows then raised them. In Slippy's handwriting, the paper said, "Please Kick Stupid." He blinked in confusion… "But… Slippy never touched me… when the hell did he…?" He thought about it to try and put the facts together… Peppy slapped him on the back earlier, but the note was in Slippy's writing. His eyes widened, realizing that Slippy had probably handed off the note to Peppy who did the deed. "Oh… YOU! REAL MATURE, FROGFACE!" He broke into a sprint but Slippy already had an enormous head start.

* * *

**Wolf O'Donnell adjusted his eye patch**. "It's fine. And no, Andrew, I'm not angry at James McCloud for doing this to me." He turned to face the tall, lanky ape. "I'm impressed he managed it. He put up a hell of a fight for an old man."

"Pigma said he's dead."

Wolf furrowed his brows. "Did he? Pigma is an idiot. James McCloud was on his deathbed and _still_ managed to escape."

"Wait… what? He ESCAPED?"

"Yeah, the old man was a real badass. I hope his son puts up _half_ the fight that old man had in'em. We put a prototype weapon on his fighter. You know that stupid new Cornerian bomb? The Nova… missile thing? Yeah… imagine one that simulates a REAL super nova… so powerful it creates a gravity well."

"Like a black hole?"

"Like a _wormhole_, you douche bag," said Wolf. "Needless to say, James McCloud doesn't exist anymore. We used the prototype technology found on his fighter to kill him."

"I didn't hear of any new technology on his…"

"Shut up," said Wolf. "Listen, kid, James McCloud was a smart old man. He came up with this idea to modify his fighter for hobby anti-grav racing. During his time as a hobbyist pilot, he and his engineer, Beltino Toad, came up with a gravity-repelling device – it's on the Arwings _and_ the Wolfens, now. He did it first and it was on his fighter, too. Well, we changed it so that it would simulate gravity on the outside of his fighter. It power cycled in unison to that bomb going off… and crushed him with gravity. It probably turned him inside out… either that or it protected him… but guess what? It happened a while ago… and we've not heard from him… so you figure it out, genius." He narrowed his singular gaze a bit. "I'm tired of talking about it. Y'know what? Just get away from me."

"I'm _not_ a kid," rebutted Andrew, gritting his teeth.

O'Donnell waved his paw dismissingly at the ape and walked away. He headed into a pilot lounge area, shoved Dengar into a wall of lockers, then continued into the next door, going down a long hallway. "Stupid team," he grumbled in a low tone. He passed a warning sign posted on the wall in Venom lettering. Doors opened, leading out to the auxiliary flight deck.

Leon Powalski, a large-eyed chameleon, stood by one of the Wolfen prototype fighters, using a blade to carve a mark into the hull plating of his ship. He had a thin paintbrush in his other hand with red dripping from the tip. His tail curled at the tip then stretched back out while he worked.

"You're the only one on this damn team that is worth anything." Wolf folded his arms, watching the reptile with a smirk. "I need to get the hell out of here and shoot at something. You game?"

He turned about, looked Wolf over then turned back to his ship and filled in the fresh groove with red paint. In a deep, creamy aloof voice, he said, "Yes, I'll join you, Wolf. …I still can't get over your name, you know."

"Shut up," barked the lupine. "ChameLEON? Your parents are REAL creative, too. Are you coming or what? Let's get out of here, c'mon."

"Ah, so you can spell! Splendid, Wolf, I _already_ have a higher opinion of you, now." His deep, almost melodic voice was dripping with syrupy sarcasm. Powalski climbed up the side of his fighter then rolled his eyes backwards in an unnerving way, as if peering behind himself. "Where are we going?"

Wolf smirked. "These things are supposed to be stealthy… let's head somewhere beyond the front line. Maybe we can shoot down some satellites over Corneria."

Leon canted his head back, looking to see if Wolf was serious. Judging by the mammal's expression, he was. A grin tugged at his mouth. "How juvenile. It's akin to spray painting the local grocery store."

"But it's willful destruction of multi-million dollar property, so it's way more fun." O'Donnell made his way to the next ship over. He lifted his left wrist, tapping three keys on a computerized gauntlet. His canopy opened and the running lights illuminated the siding of the hull. Holographic lighting displayed numbers on the side, beneath the cockpit, with faux Cornerian Department of Interstellar Transportation information. He moved up and into the cockpit then shouted, "Breaking stuff always betters my mood. You don't have to go."

Leon reached for his dash, closing his canopy and firing up his engines. His lack of a verbal response made Wolf smile. The lupine closed his canopy. "I like him more every day," he mused under his breath. "I need more pilots like him." He began flipping switches on the dash, activating the ship's main systems…

* * *

_A few hours later…_

**Corneria was a glowing blue and white object of beauty.** Wolf punched in a list of commands then uploaded them to Leon's tactical computer. "I've targeted the communications satellites – planetary only. They won't send anything more than a squadron if they think we're privateers attacking television satellites."

Leon chuckled softly. "I imagine they would send a portion of the fleet if we attacked military comm. satellites. It would be considered an act of war."

"Yeah, no kiddin'. Okay, let's compete. Destroy as many as you can in five minutes. Ready? Set? Break and attack."

Leon punched his boost and broke from Wolf. He opened fire immediately, locking on as many targets as he could, one by one. Meanwhile, O'Donnell used twin blasters to tear through the Cornerian satellites. The minutes ticked by. At the four-minute-mark, a series of blips appeared on the sensors.

Wolf scoffed. "Five bandits coming in hot." He watched the little twinkles of distant blaster fire. "These idiots are awfully excited – they're firing at us as they're not even within range of hitting us yet. What kind of morons are we dealing with here?"

"They're witnesses to our ships," Leon announced calmly. "We're tied for satellites. Perhaps this should be the tie breaker, hmm?"

"You got it, Bugeye," said Wolf, breaking towards the incoming ships. "They're going to call for reinforcements; I'm not armed to fight a battleship or destroyer." He mashed down on the throttle, targeting the ship that was leading the squadron.

The five Cornerian ships continued to fire while in formation. Wolf's blasters cut through the wing commander, tearing it apart. The other four ships scattered but not before a second fighter burst from Leon's attack. One on the end cut away, heading down into the atmosphere. The remaining two ships moved away from one another; Wolf targeted one while Leon targeted the other. Seconds later, both ships shattered like glass. They flashed then broke apart in the vacuum of space.

"One's getting away," said Leon. "He's our tiebreaker."

"Forget'em," Wolf demanded. "He's headed into the atmosphere. Until Venom softens up their planetary defenses, I'm not going anywhere near that dump. Suicide runs are for fools and zealots. If you want, we can settle the tie in a ring with our fists."

"_Just_ fists?"

O'Donnell smirked, knowing the green freak had a thing for knives. "Just fists. Follow me." He punched in a line of commands, transferring coordinates to Leon's navigational computer. Both ships hightailed it out of Cornerian airspace at a high rate of speed. "That felt good. Killing four Cornerian pilots was a nice touch at the end, there. …Dammit."

A sigh came from Leon; he looked at his sensor array. "Now you've upset them. Their flagship carrier is moving to intercept us."

"Just follow me," said Wolf. "It's stupid to tangle with eight hundred pilots at once. We'll avoid them and stop by Fortuna on the way home."

"What's there?" asked Lon.

"Future paying gig – I'm gunna' plant a bomb that'll take the whole damn base down. Then I'm going to hang up in orbit and watch while Venom level-one pilots keep the area secured until that thing goes off."

"Fodder pilots… Interesting."

"That doesn't upset you, does it scale face?"

Leon rolled his eyes backwards, glancing behind himself in doing so. "I'm not _from_ Venom. I could give a damn what happens to those morons."

Wolf grinned. "Good. If that thing goes off, it'll take them out, too. But they'll keep any Cornerian Military fighters busy during the countdown. I wanna do a flyby of this base; it's up at Fortuna's northern-most pole in the mountains and snow. It'll be a pain in the ass, so having a little reconnaissance will be… well, you know what I mean."

"Mountains, snow, layout of the base," surmised the chameleon aloud. "There is a Fast Attack Destroyer lying in a course, Wolf."

"Follow me into the asteroids; can you handle that?"

"It's natural for my species – if you didn't suggest it first, I would have. We blend in with the asteroid belt all the way around to Fortuna; their orbital track has them just beyond the belt right now, opposite of Eladard."

"Perfect. Let's go." Wolf grinned.

* * *

**Andross clinched his hands into fists.** "Are you sure?"

The Lieutenant Colonel swallowed and nodded. "Yes, Emperor. They were shot down. We don't know how it happened. Our long-range sensors showed a single Cornerian squadron in that area but they disappeared off our scope. We think they may have headed into the atmosphere. They simply drop off the scope," he repeated, adding, "We did track one of them into the atmosphere but he disappeared seconds later… so our intelligence people think all five headed into the atmosphere. It's possible that a band of mercenaries shot down the satellites; the squadron then headed back to Corneria for payment. H-however they DID miss four satellites."

"FOUR!" shouted Oikonny. "I can't destroy Corneria with FOUR satellites! That was to be my chemical attack – now there's only four left! HOW did five idiot pilots take down _forty-six_ satellites? They would need high-end technology to pull it off that quickly! With powerful weapons! I _know_ Cornerian ships! They're not armed well enough to have pulled that off so quickly!"

"Perhaps the… mercenaries used Cornerian prototype ships!"

"You're an idiot. We know everything we need to know about their stupid Arwing and production has been halted for the time being. Ready the fleet. Corneria was lucky today. But that will change. I want to flatten the Capital City – send in Battle Attack Carriers, send bi-ped attack robots to walk across the city. Send in wave after wave of fighters. I also want mobile-suit fighters to sweep across Sector Y; that will cut the supply route between Katina and Corneria. Then we'll pin down the Katina Air Guard with a battleship. I want one capable of inner atmosphere attack – have them use a particle cannon to wipe out the main headquarters. Also, send two waves of fodder pilots to Fortuna. I want them to swarm the headquarters to pin down the military. I have plans for that base and will be implementing them soon."

"What of the asteroid belt, your Excellency?"

Andross quirked a single white eyebrow. "The Rock Crusher _did_ fail against the Arwing squadron. Hmm." He thought about it for a few minutes. "Send in the _new_ Rock Crusher. However, tell its skipper _not_ to clear a path through the asteroids. Tell him to power down and wait. If Corneria sends anyone through the Meteo belt, he'll be in a position to ambush them." Andross turned away from the Lieutenant Colonel and said, "I have to attend to my research on Solar. You're dismissed."

The lizard left. Andross clinched his hands into fists again. "I cannot _believe_ someone destroyed my satellites over Corneria. Those fools are lucky today… but if they're smart enough to take down my secret trump card… then I have underestimated Pepper's leadership and his intelligence community." The Emperor brought his fist down on his desktop. "It's too early to strike at all the targets at once…"

He opened a channel to his head Admiral. The marmoset turned to face the camera on the bridge of his ship out in Area6. He quickly saluted. "My liege?"

"I'm having orders drawn up. When they're issued, contact me before forwarding them to the fleet. I wish to secure Sector X and Z now. I also want to secure Zoness, Aquas, and Macbeth. Ensure that our defenses are strong on Macbeth; send more troops there to remain in the area until further notice. In approximately one week, I will forward the rest of the fleet to Katina, Corneria, Sector Y and Fortuna. Also, I wish to send in a small invasion fleet through the Asteroids, sans the new Rock Crusher. I have other orders for the skipper of that ship. Finally, I wish to be left alone for the rest of the day to resume my research on Solar. That is all for now." Andross touched a button, closing the channel.

* * *

**A muffled beeping caught Fara's attention.** She eased up on an elbow and looked around. Her right paw moved to Fox's hip, giving him a gentle pat. With some measure of reluctance, the semi-conscious vulpine pilot wiggled away, undraping himself from her leg. Freed up, Fara leaned off the bed, placing her left paw on the floor and using her right one to grope about in the darkness.

Her left paw brushed against her pants; she closed her fingers around the fabric and pulled it closer. She then patted it down to find her communicator, which continued to vibrate and beep from one of the pockets. Finally she fumbled the device out and flipped it open with her thumb, cursing herself for leaving her purple communicator headset on its charging base in another room.

The phone-like device came to the side of her head and, in a soft voice, she said, "This is Phoenix." Fara was greeted by a burst of static. After about four seconds, it cleared and, with the encryption software activated, Pepper's voice followed.

"Major, how are you?"

Fara sighed and slumped back into the bed, lying adjacent to her new mate. She held the phone up to the left side of her face, reaching for Fox's left paw with her right. Their fingers interlaced. "I'm good, General. I couldn't help but notice the software kick in – encrypted means business… so what's up?"

"Are you alone?" he asked.

Fara face-faulted although it went unseen in the dark. "I'm with Fox but he's asleep."

"You're sure he's asleep?"

Fara gave his paw a squeeze. Fox squeezed it back in return, remaining silent. She grinned inwardly and said, "He's dead-to-the-world unresponsive, General. It's safe. What's going on?"

"Someone shot down Satellites over Corneria. There wasn't much left in the wreckage but one of them had traces of a chemical agent, which one of our analysts predicted. We found four more of our in-orbit satellites with this chemical agent in it. Deadly stuff. It's the reason I wanted to keep Fox away from Corneria… if Venom's trump card defeated _my_ trump card… the Arwings… then we'd have been in serious trouble. Does he have his ships that you ordered yet?"

"Yes, sir. So, if someone shot almost all of them down… save four of them… why are you acting like it is a bad thing?"

"It's not," said Pepper. "But Venom didn't do it. Then, an hour ago, Zoness and Aquas fell completely under Venom control. They're in a very good position to platform an attack through Katina and possibly even Sector Y, now. Keep Star Fox somewhere neutral and safe."

"We're between Eledard and Papetoon. We're completely off the grid, so far as Venom is concerned right now. Peppy is leaving for three days to visit Fichina and Fox, Slippy and Falco are finally working as a serious team, now. They're practically ready. What aren't you telling me?"

"Fara, I'm just worried. Someone, whether they meant to or not, managed to shoot down Andross' trump card. That means we're no longer in check. That means he's no longer just a single move from checkmate. That also means he's going to rethink his strategy. After all, Aquas and Zoness just fell at the same time. That's proof that he's changing his strategy. Also, it's confirmed… you'll stay with Star Fox a bit longer – next week you'll stop by Corneria while you're out on a patrol or whatever Fox does with his roster. We'll eyeball the time based on Fox but try and persuade him to send you out before noon, Corneria Capital City time. I'll give you instructions from there. Then you'll head back to GreatFox and stay until the end of the month. After that, I'll want you back here and we'll deploy Star Fox to do their job."

"Sure thing," she said. "See you in a few days, John. If they try anything desperate, let us know. If we have to deploy Star Fox early, that's fine. If we have to change our game plan, these boys are adaptable. I'd better go, he's starting to wake up." Her voice lowered, even though Fox was already listening to everything.

"Stay safe," said Pepper, closing the channel.

She flipped her phone shut, tossed it onto the pile of clothing on the floor and rolled back into Fox's embrace. "And I thought my _father_ worried a lot," she said with a slow shake of her head. "Speaking of him, it's time you meet daddy again now that we're official."

Fox chuckled, pulling her head down to his torso. He slid an arm around her neck. Fara laid there, snuggled into his chest. McCloud remained silent for a moment then, finally, he said, "When?"

"Tonight if you'd like," she told him. "But perhaps we can do it after our next patrol day… Do you think Falco and Slippy will be okay by themselves for a little while?"

"Where's your father?"

"Eladard hasn't been a part of Venom's troop movement yet… so he's been staying there to avoid hostilities."

Fox pulled her closer, so that she was now half up upon his chest, looking down at him in the dark. He leaned his head up and brushed his lips against hers. "Okay. Is this a casual meeting, or should I wear something nice?"

"We'll go shopping first, how's that? Don't worry yourself. We'll make you look…"

"…Mangy?" Fox asked with a chuckle. "I could use a trim. I'm ready to meet Mister Z., hon. Does he know that we've gotten this serious?"

"No," she said. "No father wants to think that his daughter is sexually active until she's married and he asks for grand children. If we ever have a daughter, trust me… you'll be the same way."

Fox sat up on an elbow and grinned at her in the darkness. "If we ever have a daughter, huh? You already planning to make me a family man, Future-Mrs. Fara McCloud? I've not even proposed yet… I mean, it's not even been that long since we met, right?" He wrapped his arms around her again and pulled her back down upon him, dropping his head back to the pillow. They held one another again.

"Maybe one day," she said softly. "If you defeat more than just Andross' plans… if you actually beat Andross, himself, then I'll take the next step with you, whatever it may be."

"You're on," he said with a bright smile, hardly seen in the dark room. The two shared a kiss as if to seal a promise to one another. "I'll make sure that _this time_, I fight more than some stupid robotic drone face…thing. I'll go after the real guy… and then you'll be _all mine_."

Fara scoffed. "Not if my military beats him first."

"HA! And let you guys take all the glory? Heck no. You know how personal my vendetta is. That guy is _mine_. Then you'll fall even _more_ in love with this mangy outlaw mercenary… and you'll be hopelessly head over heels for me and life will be good. How's that sound? It's the fairy tale ending, if you ask me."

The fennec vixen grew serious. "Fox… you're right about one thing, sweetheart. Your vendetta _is_ pretty personal. After your last attack run a few weeks ago… when you found out Andross was responsible for the car bomb that killed your mother… Honestly, Fox, you really should talk to someone about that. Maybe a therapist or…"

Fox turned to face her directly, patting her hip with his palm. "No need to get all excited. I dwelled on it for a few days and I've come to terms with it. I've accepted it. Andross, if he's allowed to wage war against Corneria directly… will kill many _more_ mothers and fathers… and children. I can't let him do it; I'm the one that's going to stop him. Peppy says it's my fate. I say… if destiny has anything to do with it… then I've already beaten him… it just hasn't taken place yet. I don't believe in that sort of thing but… just the same, you could say that Andross' fate is sealed. Because I'm gunning for him and now that it's already caught me off guard and it's already made me emotional and it's already affected me… Now I _know_ I'll keep my cool next time we cross paths. I just… I don't know. I really need to do this; it has to be me."

"Why?"

Fox paused then, with a clever smile, he said, "Because if I beat him… I get the girl; she promised me that she's all mine if I defeat Andross. I'm doing it for the girl; the money is a bonus and avenging my parents is icing on the cake."

Fara kissed his nose. "I've got the super celebrity, Fox McCloud, wrapped around my dainty little fingers. That's all that matters," she joked. "I'm the envy of millions of warm-blooded females everywhere."

Hearty laughter escaped Fox's lips. He sat up in bed, reaching for a nearby lamp. "You're a trip."

Fara reached a paw out and ran her fingernails down the small of his back, watching him move to the floor. Her eyes danced over his form, drinking in his athletic build and masculine figure. "No, flyboy. I'm not a trip; I'm the _whole vacation_." She offered a wink in the soft lamp lighting. "Now get your tail back into bed, kiss me on the lips and make me feel like a woman." She lifted her arms up and offered him the most coquettish expression, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

He left the lamp on. Fox turned back to the bed then moved back onto it again, reaching for her. "I really could get used to this."

* * *

_Meanwhile, on Zoness_…

**The Cat's Paw streaked over** the desolate wasteland of sewage. It was glossy, like slick oil in a puddle. Little islands flitted by on occasion, their vegetation and other signs of flora was brown and dried up. Up ahead, lights to an airfield shimmered in greeting.

The nimble ship descended into the fog, heading for the little dots in the distance. As she neared the island, the low cloud rolled along the waterline, enshrouding the archipelago. Running lights reflected off the dense vapor, complicating visual contact. Inside, Katt Monroe calmly flipped switches on her instrument panel. Her sensors scanned ahead of her and created a wire-frame grid on her HUD, allowing her to see the topography. Her running lights went dark.

The little pink fighter eased to the runway and came to a halt. Towering over the port side was an abandoned tower; it's evening lights were off. The twinkling glow of the runway lights, lower power LED bulbs pointing skyward, continued to give off an inviting radiance.

The canopy lifted and Katt carefully made her way down to the dusty runway. It was in good condition but needed to be swept by a street cleaner. She withdrew a pistol and headed towards the small line of hanger buildings opposite of the abandoned control tower.

To her surprise, a side entrance door was unlocked. She stepped inside and narrowed her eyes. The dual-star glow created an eerie lighting effect. Solar was rising on the east and Lylat was setting in the west, creating a gorgeous dusk-dawn setting. The pollution caused the sky to be rich with coloration behind her but made it difficult to see into the dark building. With the fog rolling in, the setting felt like looking at an old photograph of a daytime scene but with the brightness dimmed to the point where it was difficult to discern anything of her surroundings.

Once inside the building, she clicked her tongue a few times. The sound created an echo to the right but the sound was deadened on her left. She turned towards the lack of echo and made each footfall sure and slow.

A gruff masculine voice came from behind her. "Don't move, reptile." Something touched her back; small, about the size of a coin.

"Lower your gun," she said in a relaxed tone. "I have fur." She paused then added, "And I'm not a damn ape, neither, sugar." She flipped the safety on her pistol. "Your trap works pretty well if you're trying to lure in reptiles to get at their gear and machines."

"Be quiet." The voice remained gruff but lowered to a whisper. "If you're not a lizard, then you can help me find'em. There are two here. They landed on the next strip over. The resistance on this planet is _very_ small. We've been pinned down for about thirty-six hours. I'm surprised they didn't shoot at you when you landed.

"I landed with my lights off," she whispered back. "How old are you?"

"Why?"

"Just want to make sure I'm not here with an inexperienced teenager, hon."

"Forty-eight; I'm a civilian contractor – I used to do laundry for the pilots, here. We also used this island for civilian traffic. But I know how to use a gun." He removed his weapon from her back and reached for her. He felt along her arm until he met her wrist then gave it a tug. "This way."

Katt frowned at his age – she only preferred men younger than herself. "Okay, okay. But if you can't see then let me be your eyes."

"I can see better than you. Hold on." His paw released her wrist and he reached for his night vision goggles, switching them back on. Green phosphorescence escaped around the shape of his muzzle, where the goggles rested over his eyes. It caused a slight green brightness against his cheeks, leading her to believe it was the reason he kept them off when sneaking up on her. He took her wrist again and led her across the deck. "Mind your step," he told her. "I wouldn't want you walking into a refueling truck or baggage car."

"How big is the resistance movement?"

"Lady, it's literally three to five men for every twenty to thirty lizards and apes. The best we can do is kill the ones that get to close to where we've got our families hiding."

"We need to fight back," she said.

He spoke through clinched teeth. "We're staying in hiding until the day an offense is mounted against Zoness' invaders. I invite you to stay here with us but you've got to keep your head down and hide your ship. Once Corneria sends help, feel free to go up and join them. For now, I don't want you to attract attention because it'll get the rest of us killed."

"I… okay, it's understood." She frowned, holstering her weapon.

"Keep that gun forward," he said. "Where'd you get a Venom pistol, anyhow?"

"Same place I get all my supplies. From Venom," she told him with a coy grin. "So how's the laundry business working out for you? I've never been one to hold an honest job for very long. You might even call me a street thug. That's why I know my way around a weapon."

"Everyone is equal right now," he said. "War breaks down the walls of things like class and status. It destroys civility and humanity. Both sides are monsters until the damn thing is over… and the only people who retain their dignity, their sense of self and their cleanliness… are the politicians who decide on a victor. The pawns rarely become a piece in power and that's why, when you hear about a War Hero General or President or Prime Minister… people make such a big deal out of it. It's rare. Everyone else is still a grunt and part of them stays dirty and soiled and on the battlefield forever, even if it's just survivors guilt."

Katt blinked in surprise. "You've only been in battle for a day and a half."

"I retired from being a soldier when I was thirty. I was raised by my grandfather who fought in the war between Fortuna and Katina, sixty years ago. I know what war does to people. I'm ready for this. That's why I'm alive and why most of my coworkers aren't… because I know war. It's in my blood."

She drew her lower lip between her teeth and grew silent. The two left the hanger building through a door in the back, crossed another building that was build back to back with the first… and left through the front. They stopped in the doorway, facing another airfield littered with enemy fighters. Katt wanted to remain silent but had to know what was going on. "I thought you said there were two?"

"There were," he said, accenting the second word. "Paste tense. Were. Maybe they followed you here… but I doubt it. They'd have landed back where you came from and surrounded your ship. You're just lucky, girlie." He gestured with a nod for her to follow him. "This way… get your gun ready, I said."

"Right," she murmured, withdrawing the pistol. "The second Corneria sends anything… even a squadron… I'm going up to join'em. We'll have to go back and hide my ship, though."

"We'll get to it… I want to make sure these things don't get near the women and children we've hidden. They're already too close for comfort. Since you've got a gun and you seem to know what you're doing with one, boasting of your street thug life and all that, you can help instead of hide."

"Gladly." Katt flipped off the safety and held her pistol upwards at a ninety-degree angle. "Look, over there."

The man didn't look like what she'd expected. With his gruff voice, he sounded like some ex-military warhorse with a cigar clinched in his teeth… Instead, he was a frail badger with bifocals. He lifted the night vision goggles so that they were perched upon his forehead. He glanced out across the runway, able to see a group of lizards. They were rounding up civilians with hands behind their heads, marching in a line.

Katt whispered, "What's the plan, old man?"

"Lizards only take political figures and officers as a prisoner of war. They don't deal with civilians – they typically shoot resistance members. These poor slobs are either getting led to an execution area or they're being taken to a labor camp. Stay low, especially with that god-awful pink fur."

"Isn't that your resistance?"

"Yes, it's the whole damn resistance just about." He gritted his teeth, adding, "Almost everyone left alive on this island is in that chain-gang line. Just stay quiet, girlie."

"The _name_ is Katt. And Venom sure as hell better make way for me and…"

"Charlie Fowler," he murmured, placing the backside of his hand against the bottom of her chin, guiding her mouth shut. "Now hush for a minute. You're as chatty as my teenage daughter." He blinked then squinted at the group across the way. "Wait… just a minute."

Katt moved close, staying back so as not to be seen. Fowler gritted his teeth together and huffed through his nose as if scoffing at the notion of Venom's presence. "They're headed towards the bunker. One of those idiot boys must have talked. We can't let those cold blooded sacks of crap reach our families' hiding spot. It's unacceptable. How's your shootin' girlie?"

"I'm no sharpshooter but I won't hit the civilians if that's what you're asking."

"Good enough," he said, double-checking his magazine. "The plan is real easy, kid. I flank left, you flank right. I aim for the front of the line, you aim for the back. Wait until I shout '_Get down!_' before shooting. Unarmed people tend to drop and gunners tend to bare their arms. Shoot at anyone who is still standing."

"Wait," said Katt, placing a paw on his shoulder. "I've already seen Venom's tactic for this stuff… They'll take hostages and force the civilians to protect them. This isn't a bank heist, it's a battlefield – trust me, your idea won't work. I have a better idea and I promise it'll work."

"You better hurry, they're getting near the bunker."

She scanned the runway between the building they were hiding in and the line of people across the way. She pointed out one of the Venom ships on the strip and said, "That model has a tractor beam emitter. My electronic key will start their computer – it's a hacked biometrics key. I'll lock on the WHOLE GROUP with the tractor beam. Once they're all in the beam, and can't move," she trailed off, reached down and motioned to his bullet-loaded weapon, "You can shoot the guards. A tractor beam will repel hand-held energy weapons like my blaster… but you'll be able to put a few bullets in their head with no trouble. Once you give me a signal, I'll shut down the beam then initiate the auto-destruct sequence."

"Don't blow up the fighters," said Charlie. "That'll bring in way more. If anything, just power it down and leave'em on the runway so, at a glance, Venom thinks this island is already secured."

Monroe smiled brightly. "Is that your way of saying you like my plan without actually admitting it?"

"Just get your tail out there without being seen." He gave her a gentle shove.

Katt broke into a sprint. She threw her body up against the hull of the fighter and caught her breath. Carefully, she made her way up onto the fighter's hull and crept across the top, towards the canopy. A distant sound caused her ears to perk. It was a whistle but seemed far away. She cut her gaze back towards the lizards and the hostages, quick to notice the lizards change in tactics. They shoved everyone into the dirt and broke into a hard run, headed for their fighters. Katt blinked in confusion.

The whistling grew louder and her eyes widened in grim realization. Her lower lip trembled; she glanced up at the sky and her heart dropped. Barely visible in the colorful, dim sky, a glint of small foreign objects hurtled towards the airfield. Katt stood up and ran along the back of the fighter then dropped into the open canopy. She reached for the button to close the cockpit top and fumbled for the shields. Without power, the fighter only managed to polarize the hull plating.

Three large shells struck the airfield with a dizzying sound. The Venom fighters went sailing apart, including the one she was hiding in. She was pinned to the seat and her ears rung with a shrill tone. The canopy turned to a spider web as the fighter over-righted itself, rolling twice and landing on its side. The starboard wing snapped off and stuck up out of the dirt.

The world went blurry for a moment or so. Katt found herself sitting on the floor with her legs up over the dash and her head resting on the yellow ejection handle. She still had her blaster in her right paw. Still unable to hear anything, she pointed it up at the canopy, closed her eyes and fired. The discharge blew the glass bubble off its tracks but the reflected heat singed her whiskers and eyebrows.

The world rumbled followed by another dizzying spin. The fighter turned over again, resting upside down in a smoldering crater. Due to the large pockmark in the ground and the centralized location of the cockpit, she had enough room to climb out from underneath the Venom ship. However her clothes were snagged on something and she struggled to wiggle free. The world vibrated again from nearby bombardment.

The communicator in the cockpit came to life, shouting in Venom. She realized her paw was adjacent to a button labeled in Cornerian lettering. "Translation." For ape pilots, perhaps? Katt pressed the flashing key.

"…Out of there! You idiots did _not_ have military authority to land on that chain of islands! It's being targeted by our Naval ships! Get the hell out of there, you morons! Move it! Next time, make sure you have clearance before you…" The world shook again. "…Imperial fleet can't wait for a bunch of stupid enlisted flyboys who don't know how to properly…" Again, the ground shook.

"COME ON!" The voice belonged to Charlie Fowler. An arm closed around her ankle, pulling on her leg. Katt's jacket ripped and she fell away from the cockpit, landing in the dirt on her hands and knees. She was face to face with the older man. He continued to shout but his voice sounded muffled, like he was yelling through a wooden door. "We've got to get off the airfield! The bunker is back this way! Follow me!" He reached for her collar and tugged on it. "Snap out of it! Move your butt!"

Katt came to her senses; her head cleared like breaking the water's surface for a gulp of fresh air. All the sounds of battle became crisp and clear again, including the radio chatter from above her head. She knelt up and, with the butt of her pistol, broke the radio transmitter out of the cockpit. Wires followed the unit and broke at the source with another hard yank.

"What's that for?" he exclaimed.

"We'll find a way to power it," she said, adding, "We can listen in on their secure channel so that we'll _know_ when help arrives!" She moved down into the dirt, lying on her back and wiggled up between the dirt and the fighter until she was through the gap. With Charlie's help, she made her way out of the crater and back into the dead, brown grass, thirty-to-forty meters from the runway. Monroe lifted her brows in surprise. "Holy cow!"

"You kidding?" said Fowler with a grim chuckle, "I thought for sure you were dead on the first explosion. Then the second threw the fighter even further and these damn things ain't light, girlie. You're lucky to be alive." He glanced back at the hull, which had a semi-shiny gloss coating. "You polarized the armor plating, huh? Smart girl – I'm surprised you had time to do that; so does that mean you read Venom lettering?"

"No, the cockpit is laid out the same way as my ship," she said then blinked. "We have to go back for my ship! I need to put it somewhere safe!"

"No time!" said the badger, growling at her selfishness. "It's suicide!"

"I need to hide it! If they're using satellite, it's going to attract even more bombardment!"

"Bull! They're going to bomb this place regardless!" He glared at her for a moment then nodded. "The control tower has auxiliary power. If you can get there, use the landing strip's emergency tractor emitter to move it. Put it down in the lagoon – the water isn't nearly as corrosive as the ocean but it's no longer clear, either… that'll hide your ship. I'll give you twenty minutes. If you're not back by then, I'm locking down the bunker."

"Where is it?"

"Unlike those idiot lizards, _you_ should actually be _able_ to read Cornerian wording," he said with a smirk. "Look for the signs that say, "Emergency shelter," and follow'em. Do me a favor. On your way back through, use that blaster of yours… I want you to shoot every one of those signs. Just in case."

"Just in case," she repeated. "Thanks for the help back there." She shuddered, feeling another distant explosion about two thousand feet away. "That felt close."

"About a third of a mile away," he mused. "Get going, kid. Hurry the hell up." He reached for the radio in her left paw and tucked it beneath his arm. "Now move!"

Katt hurried back the way she left her ship. She was disoriented at first but recognized the control tower on the other side of the hanger buildings and headed for it. Tremors caused the island to rumble beneath her feet from the bombardment in the distance. She continued to run, panting from exertion. "That's it," she said, "After this war, I'm going on a diet." She continued the hard run, adding, "I'm loosing twenty-five pounds," she gasped for breath and continued, "I'm going back to natural gray," she promised herself, took another breath then said, "Maybe I'll… keep the pink… a _little_ longer," she huffed.

Monroe went around the hanger, down a cobblestone path and came out at the end of the runway in sight of her fighter. She breathed a dramatically intended sigh of relief and rushed for the control tower. Whistling filled her ears again. Katt glanced over her shoulder, seeing incoming rounds. They were headed right for her. As she ran, she said the only thing that came to her mind. "Oh… _shit_."

One of the shells struck the middle hanger dead center. It blew apart and the fueling truck, parked within, exploded. An enormous fireball erupted behind her. The force of the explosion caused her to stumble forward. The graceful cat regained her footing and continued forward in a hard run. Another shell struck a brick wall behind the tower, sending debris in every direction. She could barely see the foggy ocean beyond the wall, obscured by the smoke from the blast. A third shell struck in the distance causing something else to blow up but it was too far away to concern her right now.

Once inside the control tower, she mashed the button for the elevator but it wasn't responsive. A light above the elevator doors was illuminated. The symbol next to the 'up' and 'down' indicators suggested that the elevator was powered down because the airfield was on emergency auxiliary power. Katt grinded her molars together in frustration and began taking the steps two at a time.

In seconds, she was panting again. "Twenty-five pounds or _more_," she huffed, ascending the spiral staircase that lined the pillar leading to the top of the control tower. "I'm going to look so good that… Falco will _beg_ for… me to hang out with him …again!" She neared the top, lifted the blaster and shot the door then passed through the doorframe and into the bridge-like layout of the control room. She could see the entire airfield from her location.

Flames burned out of control in a distant town. It appeared to be the target of the bombardment with occasional rounds striking the airfield. It was then that she recognized the island as one of the more popular beach resorts in the region. Katt's voice abandoned her. "Oh… god," she mouthed. She neared the controls by a cracked window and activated the tractor emitters. The haze of the town's fire was beginning to fill the air, darkening the sky with smoke. She squeezed a trigger on the joystick and guided her ship over the sea wall and out to a lagoon on the east side.

The control tower shook and power failed. Her ship dropped into the water with only the stabilizer fin sticking up. She could barely see it from the tower windows. "Hopefully that's far enough away from the airfield," she murmured only to be alarmed by another stern shaking. A shell detonated at the center of the nearest runway just a few meters from where her ship sat only moments prior. Movement out on the runway caught her attention.

Two lizards had their weapons drawn, investigating the runway strip. They appeared to be talking to one another.

"Crap, they saw me tractor the Cat's Paw." She swallowed, knowing she'd have to go through them to get to the bunker and she also knew she couldn't let them see or follow her _to_ the bunker. She pressed a button to activate the tractor emitter again but nothing happened. "So much for catching them in a tractor field." Katt backed away from the controls then eyed the doorway leading to the stairs. "If I wear myself out, they're sure to overpower me," she thought aloud. "There has to be _another_ way to get to the ground without taking the stairs…" The world shook again.

Katt glanced over her shoulder, seeing the sky in the left window and the ground rushing upwards in the right windows. "Not what I had in mind!" she shouted. The feline dove through the door and wrapped her arms around the handrail at the top of the stairs. Her body began to feel light. Her paws slid away from the metallic pole mounted to the wall from the force of gravity lifting her. Her back met the ceiling, pinning her flat against it. She screamed at the top of her lungs…

* * *

**A/N:** _Okay, I was going to make this the last update for right now then go and work on a new chapter for Reflections of Marcus McCloud… but I can't just leave you with a cliffhanger before jumping to another story, now can I? I mean, I've done it before… but not on purpose! Okay, I'll finish up chapter 18 on this story THEN jump over to Reflections of Marcus McCloud! This'll give me the chance to write about what happens to Fara and what puts her into suspended animation until I bring her back in Reflections of a New Generation, right? _

_Lots of stuff going on in this chapter, though, huh? I hope it wasn't confusing! Let's see… Wolf and Leon accidentally shoot down planetary satellites to cause general chaos. It probably caused a few NEWS channels to go off air but inadvertently halted Andross' secret trump card. No one knows it was StarWolf and of course THEY have no idea how they just saved Corneria, lol. Ironic, huh? Next, Fox and Fara grow close and we see that Fox isn't always shy around females like he is later on, in SF: Assault. Neat, huh? Fox actually has some brass buttons, surprise. It's what happens after Fara is assumed dead and Miyu puts him in his place that shatters his confidence concerning the female gender. Also, we see what causes Katt to be in a position to help Star Fox when they pass through Zoness in SF64. There's just one problem… Her hiding spot is about to fall several stories, oh no! _

_Also, I dabble into why Katt appears heavyset and pink in SF64 and why she's thin and gray in SF: Command. You guessed it… pink hair dye. She'll diet her way to the athletic build of her SF: Command appearance. Not every character can be perfect all the time, right? And Katt has a puffy, chubby face in SF64. I also took the last few chapters to explain why her ship spits out glitter in SF64. It's simulation chaff. Sure, it looks like girly sparkles, but it keeps enemy missiles from locking onto her ship. After all, from what I can tell, Katt Monroe is invincible in SF64. I've sure never seen her shot down, maybe that's just me. Maybe I've just been lucky when I play Zoness and Macbeth. Who knows? _

_Finally, we still see Leon with a deep voice, the way he was vocalized in SF64. I'm thinking that later in the story, he'll get his throat slashed in a fight with Falco or maybe he'll get injured from a crash landing… and that will cause his voice to become raspy the way we hear him sound in SF: Assault. Any suggestions? _

_Okay, so yeah… expect ONE MORE update from me on this story before I hop back over to the MARCUS story. Yay! I had fun with this chapter. Lots of amusing lines in it, like when Wolf talks to Leon and such… and, of course, when Falco and Slippy were arguing. I couldn't help but see what Falco was imagining… Fox and Fara sweating over one another and Peppy shouting over their shoulder, 'DO A BARREL ROLL!" Oh yeah, baby, SO hot! Haha! Just thought I'd add to the internet meme.  
I texted all my friends with, "Happy Barrel Roll day! Eat lots of somersaults, press Z or R twice to all family members and remember to use bombs wisely!" lmao. _

_:D_

_-_ME


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: _Recently, I got an anonymous review stating that I don't have enough "victory moments" for my characters in this series of stories. Most of the victories happen in the games and most of my stories happen between the games but… I promise you that your words have NOT fallen on deaf ears. _

_I suppose I feel that victories can go many ways. In NEXT GEN, Marcus and Fara falling in love isn't so much a victory as it is a fuzzy happy series of moments. There will be more of those as he gets closer to her in Reflections of Marcus. Also, I'm not killing off Fara, either. But what about when the team finds Falco in Reflections of a New Generation? Marcus found out that his family was still alive, that's a nice thing to hope for. Then the family came home and everyone was like, YAY! Then when Crimson found out that his roommate was Sugar? HAHA, that was awesome, huh? _

_I suppose I _don't_ have a huge amount of victory moments. The team doesn't celebrate their victories in my stories and perhaps they should do that a little more often. My "feel good" moments are few and far between and the characters never seem to pat themselves on the back or dance like Snoopy on his doghouse. _

_I think I'll write about the post-war parade in this story, after Fox and his team defeat Andross. Yeah, he'll be sad about Fara's assumed-death, but a parade and some alcohol will help Fox to cheer up for a chapter, huh? _

_I think I'll have Marcus celebrate a little one-on-one time with his kid, too. I DO hope you'll continue to read my material. I was recently watching Star Wars and noticed that every so often, there was a celebratory 'feel good' scene, with the good guys thrusting their fists into the airs. Jar-Jar Binks people, the Ewoks, the clone army, the children after the Pod Race, etc. There was plenty of victory scenes peppered throughout the series. That's when it hit me… you're right… I don't have enough positive celebration moments in my stories. I need MORE of that sort of thing from time to time. I AGREE with you! It was a FANTASTIC bit of advice for me, so THANK you! I decided to try it out and, for the person who wrote that review… if you're reading… I hope you like what I did with Katt in this chapter… I decided to try my hand at a small 'victory' scene, halfway through the chapter. Let me know if you liked it, please! _

_I apologize that you won't see a lot of happiness in THIS chapter, though. It's time for Juliet and Romeo to part ways, although unlike R & J and the Westside Story, Mercutio / Riff will be alive to help Romeo through this loss so that he doesn't do something drastic to himself out of anguish. Yes, I'm talking about Falco and his fast-friend bond with Fox. Okay, AFTER THIS CHAPTER I'll update Reflections of Marcus McCloud, Spy Cooper, Dawn of Progeny and A COOPER CHRISTMAS, then more Reflections of Marcus and Détente. _

_

* * *

_

Chapter -18-  
"_Star Crossed Lovers_"

** Katt pushed air out through her mouth**; her ears flickered at the sound of her own groan. Her back ached, her arms hurt and her legs felt battered and bruised. She wondered to herself why she stopped here in the first place. The next thought to cross her mind was that she was going to miss her window of opportunity; Charlie would undoubtedly seal the bunker before too long. Then again, she couldn't be sure how much time passed – for all she knew, the shelter was already secured.

She sat up, propping herself against a cracked wall. "Think optimistically," she murmured in a hoarse tone. "They… have a Venom radio I gave him… I can use one of the radios on one of the other Venom fighters to make contact with them… to let them know I'm okay," she said.

Her paw lowered to her thigh, feeling moisture just above her knee. It continued down to her ankle and her cloudy mind began to clear. Water was lapping at her legs and it smelled horrible. Katt wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Have mercy," she said with a wince then crawled away from it. She found her way back through the doorway and onto the bridge of the control tower. The left side of the room was under deep water but it became shallow on the right.

Monroe immediately realized that she was on the ceiling – everything was upside down. However, the room appeared flat yet only the left side was under water. The situation puzzled her. She got to her feet and hobbled towards the windows. She blinked, only half-able to comprehend what she was seeing.

The remains of the control tower lay upside-down on the beach with the waves lapping against the left side of the structure. The pillar with the stairs had shattered; she deduced that it fell backwards, toppled down the precipice and landed on the soft sand at the bottom of the rock sheer. She climbed back towards the stairs. About fifteen feet into the stairwell, the round pillar had apparently collapsed in on itself, and most likely stuck up in the air.

She headed back into the inverted control room and looked out across the beach through the windows all around her. The foul-smelling water poured in from the left then retreated in calm waves. The sky was somewhat brighter than before. One of the stars was near the horizon, the other one was higher in the sky – she could no longer remember which one was which. Water continued to rush in then retreat. As she became accustomed to the stench, her mind cleared and she regained her bearings.

Her stomach grumbled. Katt looked back out across the beach, noticing that the fog had lifted considerably. She glanced down at her left wrist… her watch was shattered. However, it was still working. Condensation made it difficult to read the display. She took the watch off and stuck it in the surf then lifted it. She held it up until all the water drained back out then peered at the display… Her eyes widened in shock. "TWO DAYS?! I've BEEN OUT for TWO DAYS?" No one answered her shout. The waves continued to lap at the left wall of the inverted control tower top. They retreated, leaving foam on the ceiling and control panels. The next wave rushed in to restart the cycle.

To the east, the sky began to grow orange as the second sun lifted. Lylat was shining down from high above and Solar peaked over the east beach, causing clouds to appear pink and orange – it was a beautiful noontime sunrise. She was distracted from it by something soft beneath her foot. She sidestepped and glanced down at a dead fish only to realize that it was one of several. "…Yuck."

* * *

**"Just a simple patrol,"** said Fox with a chuckle. "I have faith in you," he said to his girlfriend. "Just peek through the asteroids. I feel bad sending you in alone. No backup, plus it'll be boring but… I'm stretched thin right now and you're able to handle yourself. With Peppy on Fichina until tomorrow, Slippy manning the GreatFox and Falco 'n me doing our patrol, I'm short on staff right now."

She lifted a finger, touching his lips. "Shh. No need to explain yourself."

Falco smirked. "You only ever do that for her, y'know, Fox. When _I_ ask why we're doing something, you usually just say, 'Because!' but for Fara, you go into this long drawn out crap and she doesn't even ask for it in the first place."

Both Fox and Fara turned to Falco in unison and said, "Shut up."

Slippy grinned brightly, pointing at the falcon. He snickered vocally just to add insult to injury. Lombardi narrowed his gaze at Slippy and said, "Be quiet before I…" The avian trailed off the shook his head and chuckled. "Okay, it _was_ kinda' funny."

Fox reached for Fara's paw. "The boys and I have been talking this over… and we'd really like you to resign from the military and join our team."

"Fox, I… you want me to join your team?" Part of her was delighted and the other part of her was duty bound to help Corneria in its time of need. As a Naval Chief, as a prototype test pilot and as a 'special missions' operative, Corneria had a great need for Fara Phoenix. After speaking with Pepper only an hour ago, she actually had a mission scheduled for this afternoon. "I'll need time to think about it, sweetheart."

"Take your time, Fara. And thank you for doing the Meteo patrol. I'll have Slippy on stand by just incase you need him to fly out and help you."

"That's very thoughtful, Fox," said Fara, coming a step closer to her boyfriend. She still had his paw in hers, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles.

Falco placed an arm around Fox's shoulders and guided the pilot away from Fara. "Come on, loverboy. You can hug and kiss'er later on. Let's go to work. Seriously, it's not like this'll be the last time you ever talk to her, hug her or smooch on the broad. The sooner we go, the sooner we get back so you two can suck face."

Fara put her paws on her hips and shook her head. Then, to Slippy, she said, "He's a real piece of work, isn't he? If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's jealous that Fox is in a _stable_ relationship."

Falco glanced over his shoulder as he guided McCloud off the bridge. "Up yours, sister!" His tone was fairly bright, proof that his insult was intended to be good-natured. Fara smiled in realization that he would feel comfortable enough to treat her like 'one of the boys'. It was high praise so far as she was concerned.

Toad lifted his hands in mock defeat. "He'll _never_ grow up." He walked with Fara over to the auxiliary view screen and pointed to a course in the asteroids. "This is your route. I downloaded it to your Arwing's navigational computer. We won't be able to track your progress once you're in the belt because Meteo has that effect on reception. Anyhow, take your time. Don't rush because we don't want you smushed."

She grinned. "How thoughtful."

ROB turned about and announced, "It would be a faster way to a flatter new you."

Slippy groaned and approached the robotic pilot from behind. He removed a plate on the backside of Rob's head and flipped a switch. "Until we work the bugs out of your personality parameters, I'm deactivating that program. We don't need peanut gallery commentary as often as you offer it."

Rob glanced back at Fara and, in a monotone voice, told her, "If you require any supplies, contact me and I will send them your way."

The fennec tilted her head. "Wow… what a difference. Who knew that personality sub-routines could cause such…" She trailed off then shrugged. "I actually liked him more the other way. No biggie, though." She turned to the control panel and looked over the diagram again. "This brings me awfully close to Eladard's orbital track. Should I poke my nose out and make sure it looks safe, too?"

"I won't stop you," said Slippy. "We're not military – we won't get on your case if you peek around. Are you sure you don't need me to go out there with you?"

"Why, did you want to?"

"Well… not particularly. I mean… we're talking about the asteroids, here. It's exciting but I was a little nervous when we went after that rock crusher. I'd do it again in an instant but not unless I had to."

The vixen patted the frog's face. "I'll be fine. No worries. I'll even poke my nose out of the rocks and check on Eladard; just between us, daddy is there. I might stop by and see him for a few moments." She turned about and headed off the bridge.

Slippy sighed and turned to Rob. "I miss not having a girlfriend. Croakella just wasn't for me, though. I'm really envious of Fox's happiness. One day, I'm going to find a nice girl and it's going to be great. What can I say? Deep down, I'm a hopeless romantic."

"Affirmative, you are hopeless."

"…Hey!" He leered at Rob. "I thought I turned off your sarcasm!"

"Affirmative, my personality sub-routines have been disabled. I was simply stating an obvious fact." Rob casually turned back to the helm.

Frustrated, the frog threw his hands up in the air and said, "Shut up!" then stormed off the bridge, adding, "You're LUCKY I like you so much!" The doors shut behind himself.

"Also agreed," said Rob, operating the main doors so that Fox and Falco could leave the hanger. Moments later, Fara's lone Arwing left the Great Fox.

* * *

**"John, I'm underway,"** said Phoenix. She engaged the autopilot feature and began stripping out of her leotard and sweats. "I'll head into the asteroids and come out near Eladard. What's the mission objective?" She got up onto her knees and reached over the backrest of the seat, retrieving her tactical gear.

"Fara, are you blocking visual transmission feed?"

"Yes, John, I'm changing into my sneaking suit. Only Fox gets to see me that way. What's the mission? Escort? Object retrieval? Sabotage?"

"Fox is a lucky young man to hold your affections, Fara. Did you know I attended James' wedding? Okay, as you know… Eladard is a neutral planet. Both sides have a great deal of places there with invested research. North Point University is the leading place in cryogenics study. Their biggest rival school has been commissioned to do research on Solar but _Venom_ is the paying party. We think Andross has a vested interested in something to do with Solar. Some say he's created a living, breathing weapon on the surface and we're trying to validate it before we send someone there. If the rumor suggested that there was a bio weapon on the surface of Papetoon, we'd look… but you don't just send someone to a star and have them risk their lives for a 'look-see'. Our best bet is to steal the research from Eladard and see what we're dealing with, here. You'll need your sneaking suit for this mission but wear something nice overtop of it. That way you can get into the university grounds without looking inconspicuous. Once you're in, head to the laboratory, ditch the duds and break in after hours. The sun has already set in this area, so most of the student population is already at their dormitories for the night. Just get in, upload the files to me electronically then get out without being seen."

"Anything else, John?"

"We have had reports that there are Venom guards in that section of the campus. Stay alert. You can take them down but don't harm any students, staff or academic faculty members. Just lizard guards. I suggest venting some of your fuel so that you can make an excuse to stop on Eladard in order to fill your tank."

"No worries, John, GreatFox isn't in a position to see me on the other side of the asteroid belt. Besides, daddy is there – I could visit him. I know, I know… if anything happens to me, you disavow knowledge of everything. The official line would be that I was recovered from the asteroid belt; my ship would be mangled and in need of repair… and a rumor would be started that I was attacked by a Venom patrol in the asteroids. Emergency services would deliver my body to the nearest planet – Eladard – and my parents would be summoned to identify me. I'm aware of the risks."

Pepper didn't reply right away. Fara finished changing into her sneaking suit and tossed her leotard and sweats over the backrest. Finally, Pepper said, "That's a grim way of stating the truth. But yes, that's exactly how it would play out. Don't give me a reason to call your father and tell him that his only daughter was ambushed by Venom fighter pilots. For one, I don't like to lie… and for another thing I'd have to deal with Fox being upset. I attended Vixy McCloud's funeral, too. I don't want to attend _yours_."

Fara settled back down in the cockpit seat, adjusting the stealth suit. She buckled her safety harness and unblocked the visual feed. "I would expect a riveting speech at my funeral, General John Pepper. You can tell everyone how I was the most noble and the bravest fighter pilot in the entire fleet and that I courageously saved the fate of Corneria by exposing Venom's dastardly plot to infiltrate our military. Then you can tell everyone how I single-handedly trained Star Fox to drive a hole through Venom's forces… and, hopefully, they'll go back and finish the job real soon."

Pepper chuckled with a shake of his head. "I'm glad you have a morbid sense of humor, Fara. I'll tell them that you were a model teacher and a sensible girlfriend to local celebrity, Fox McCloud. You know I can't say too much more than that. But if it makes you feel any better, you _are_ the most noble and the bravest fighter pilot in the entire fleet. You're a good operative. Keep your nose clean." He offered her a weak smile over the dash panel monitor. "This is going to be far more dangerous than the theme park; probably the most dangerous assignment I've ever assigned to a single person. Pepper out."

The Arwing disappeared into the asteroid field and headed towards Eladard at the far end of the belt's arc.

* * *

**Katherine Monroe slammed the handrail into the concrete** chunks blocking her exit. She gave it another firm strike but the stairwell was crushed shut. She threw the metallic portion of the rail down in disdain. She made her way back the doorway leading to the inverted bridge and sighed. The entire room was covered in sludge from the polluted sea foam. However, now that the tide was going out, the bridge was no longer under water like it was just a little while ago.

One star was high in the sky; the other one was dipping into the horizon. Again, she forgot which one was which. Monroe splashed across the room coming to the windows. She picked up a metallic chair and threw it against the windows on the right side, facing the sandy beach. They didn't even crack.

She huffed in disdain and glanced back at the shattered left window where the ebbing tide continued to lap into the room then retreat again. It wasn't like earlier, when the water was coming in hard then drawing back only _somewhat_… no, it was obvious the tide was actually retreating now. The problem was she didn't want to have to swim in that muck just to get out. She also didn't know if the tide was going to ebb for much longer.

Reluctantly, the feline waded into the water. It caused her skin to tingle in an unnatural way. She swam out through the broken window on the left then came about and headed for the beach. Once she made it to the sand, she shouted at the top of her lungs. "GROSS!" Katt took two deep breaths then headed towards the lagoon in the distance to clean off.

It was a fairly long walk. The natural design kept ocean water out and kept fresh water in the lagoon but the occasional acidic rainwater brought some of the polluted filth to the once-clear water. Her ship rested safely at the center of the lagoon. She could see the fin sticking out from down on the beach.

Katt climbed up the rock wall, slippery with moss. She used her claws, digging into it to keep from slipping. Once she made her way up to the circular pond-like area, she saw crystal clear water gushing out of the side of a cliff, pouring into the protected fresh water. "Hot springs?" she wondered to herself, making her way around the coral-covered rock ring that acted as a natural damn between the ocean and the lagoon. It was a shame that rain water sullied it even though it wasn't dangerous or toxic yet, like the ocean water.

Her observant eyes noted the hot steam that hovered above the fountain of water gushing out of the rock wall and into the clearer water. She decided that it looked like a large toilet bowl. The inactive volcano, here at the edge of the island, provided the hot springs water from the rock wall, which poured into the lagoon. It was cooled and kept clean naturally but the planet's ruined ecosystem was starting to slowly turn this natural wonder into a cesspool. She wished she could have seen this area before Venom's Imperial forces ruined everything. Luckily, the water was still clean enough to swim in, even if it was no longer safe to drink.

She swam out to the center of the small area. The heated water arced out of the rock wall and poured into the center of the shimmering area and it felt like a hot shower. She stood up on the wing of her heavily modified Invader III ship, made from parts of two other classified prototype Venom ships. Standing out on the wing, she showered the filth and muck and stripped off her sullied, polluted clothing. She then opened an exposed hatch on her ship and retrieved fresh clothing from one of the several gear compartments built into the fighter.

"That's it," she said with a sigh. "After this mess… I'm going back to the Hot Rodders for a while. Maybe I can talk the boys into helping me clean up lizard drama." She finished cleaning up and held fresh clothing above her head, made her way back to the rock formation that surrounded the lagoon and stretched. She dried off, got dressed and headed back towards the runway only to find it decimated.

The area was filled with more craters than she could count. Most of the hanger buildings were in ruin and appeared to have been victims of intense flames. Of all the Venom fighters that were on the secondary runway, only one was left mostly whole; it lay on its side, half-buried in mud about twenty-five meters from the airstrip.

Katt crawled into the cockpit. She balled her fists up in excitement then opened them and clapped her paws together. The controls were still in pristine order. She activated the computer and toggled the radio.

"Charlie Fowler…" Her voice was demure and calm. "Charlie Fowler," repeated the feline.

"WHO IS THIS?" exclaimed an angry voice in Cornerian. "THIS is an IMPERIAL private channel! Who is this? Identify yourself!"

"Charlie Fowler," she repeated in an almost monotone voice.

"You're alive?" came a gruff, calm reply. "I thought you were dead, girlie."

"IDENTIFY YOURSELVES!" shouted someone.

Katt smiled inwardly and said, "Things got complicated. It's quiet – I'm going in for supplies. I'll be back shortly; I'd like to see you again."

"Acknowledged. How about I go with you?"

"Meet up with me, same place as last time… although there's a skylight view, now. You won't need those big green glasses you had before. I'll explain everything in person."

The lizard cut back in. "Identify yourselves; how did you get on this channel? WHAT is your location?!"

Both Katt and Charlie avoided the urge to answer or taunt the lizard, leading the reptile to believe that he managed to overhear _their_ conversation on a local Zoness frequency with a similar band. Both parties went silent, leaving the lizard to inquire to an empty line several times before giving up.

Katt headed back to the hanger building where she met Charles Fowler the other day. She looked up at the sky through the missing roof then folded her arms, waiting for him to show. Before long, the aging badger made an appearance. The two greeted each other with a hug. For some reason it felt appropriate.

"So you're going into what's left of town?" he asked.

"I saw it from high up. The whole area is silent smoldering ruins," she told him. "No lizards, no civilians. Nothing. We should get supplies and food. We can take it to the lagoon; above the water there's a hot springs geyser; it's …hot. If we can find out where it's coming from, we can use the internal heat to cook and clean gear, sterilize medical equipment… just… whatever. It'll come in handy. We should get whatever we can down there."

"I'll get a laundry cart; we can use it to push the supplies back." He lifted his head, looking to the sky. "This building sure took some abuse, right?" He approached one of the scorched walls and frowned. "Can't burn down concrete very easily, huh, girlie?"

"I guess not," she murmured. "The building at the end of the row is powder, though… I guess that's where excess liquid fuel was stored so the fire burned much hotter."

"Sounds about right," said the badger. He hooked a thumb over his shoulder and gestured for her to follow him. They headed for the remains of the nearby town together. At the edge of the airfield, Charlie placed a paw on her elbow. "It's pretty quiet. Why don't we have a few people from the shelter help us… more hands means more supplies."

"That works for me." Katt followed him a little ways to the east of the last runway until they came to a rather plain looking building. Together, they removed signs that labeled it as a shelter area. Then they headed down to the bunker section and Fowler introduced her to the group huddled together.

"We need volunteers, ladies and children… There's only three males here and I'd prefer we kept you here just in case Imperial forces show up… I'll need several adult females to accompany myself and Miss Katt to town."

Three women made their way to the front. Charlie looked at Monroe who glanced back at the badger with a nod of approval. A voice in the stairwell caused everyone to turned about. An Imperial lizard stood with a group of weary-looking Venom soldiers behind him. He gritted his teeth. "I knew if we laid low, we'd be able to follow you back to your hiding spot, mammals. We're trapped here, same as the rest of you… but we're armed and you're not! Everyone on the floor NOW!"

Katt craned her head, seeing only several other lizards behind the first. "There are a handful of you, but there are _several dozen_ of us!"

One of the women who had volunteered to go to town pulled off an apron and threw it on the floor. "You cold blooded freaks won't lay a single hand on our children!"

Another woman, somewhere in the crowd, said, "You'll have to go through us, first!"

Yet another called out, "We've had ENOUGH of Venom! This is OUR planet!"

The lead lizard lifted his rifle to a forty-five degree angle and fired a warning shot into the ceiling. "BE QUIET!"

"I've had enough of this!" shouted one of the women near the middle of the pack. "It's either US or THEM! They'll NEVER take MY children; they'll have to _kill_ me first!"

The crowd grew furious, converging on the open blast door leading up to concrete steps. Another shot rang out, striking the ceiling. The lizard shouted, "I AM IN CONTROL HERE!"

"The hell you are," said Fowler. "Crowds create their own power," he added, reaching for the lizard with the rifle. He jerked down on the barrel. It discharged causing Katt to gasp. However, the energy round struck the floor between his ankles. Charlie Fowler was shoved forward, into the lizard by the mob of mostly women, seeking to protect the children that had been funneled to the back of the group. The barrier pushed forward against the stairwell.

The lizard leader was toppled backwards with Fowler fighting for control of the weapon. It discharged again but Katt couldn't see anything more than the angry rush of people forcing their way through the exit.

A cry of agony came from one of the lizards as he was trampled beneath a sea of feet. Another energy weapon discharged but the tone was different. To Katt, it sounded more like a pistol. The mob grew angrier and shouting broke out. She tried to push towards the exit but the crowd became too dense to penetrate. "CHARLIE!" she called. "Where are you?" No reply. The sounds of shouting intensified followed by another terrified scream from one of the lizards.

A blaster rifle fired a three-shot burst but it sounded as though it came from outside. Another triple-round burst, then a third… rather suddenly the rifle went silent, punctuated by a reptilian bellow of pain. Somewhere in the middle of the crowd, a woman shouted, "KEEP MOVING FORWARD! FOR THE CHILDREN! FOR OUR HOME!" Angry jeers of agreement followed. The room emptied.

Katt pushed into the hind end of the crowd and, within a matter of minutes, she made her way through the stairs. A lizard's broken body covered the concrete steps and the crowd continued over his lifeless form with no regard. They locked together, forcing their way up the staircase until Katt could see sunlight again.

As she reached the top of the steps, she saw a red streak of energy lance straight up into the air, coming from the center of the swarm of furred females. A green arm lifted into the air then sank into the crowd, trampled beneath. The last lizard succumbed to the mob's wrath.

Cheers of victory filled the air. A feeling of elation filled the area; the group of women applauded themselves and raised their arms in the air. Monroe didn't even need to see the other lizards – she immediately knew this group of women and the four mammalian men had triumphed over the armed attackers. Woops, shouts and even sporadic singing came from all sides. Katt pushed through the dispersing crowd, looking for the older badger.

She found him up near the center and threw her arms around him. His shirt was ripped and his fur was tousled, a little bit of blood matted his forehead but he had a bright, victorious smile and it warmed Katt's heart to see him this way. The women from the bunker continued to cheer and praise themselves.

"That was amazing!" Katt shouted to him over the ambient noise of the crowd. "I can't believe how quickly they turned against those guys!"

"Like I said," he called back, "Crowds create their own power! Those guys didn't stand a chance! This is the only part of war that is worth remembering! One small victory will eventually turn into many if we can all hold together like this!"

"Are they all dead?"

"I think so!" he shouted back, adding, "We have one girl who needs medical attention. Let's get her into a laundry cart and wheel her back to the town. She's been shot but it's only a flesh wound on her leg. The carts are in the supply building where the pilot's lockers are." He led her to where the injured woman was but she was clapping and rejoicing with everyone else around her. Katt and Charlie helped the girl off the ground where she was sitting and guided her arms around each of their shoulders. Charlie said into the woman's ear, so that she could hear over the celebrating, "Katt and I will take you into town and get you antiseptic and antibiotics, just in case… how is your leg?"

She called back, "I can't even feel it! I'm high as a kite right now!"

Katt laughed and said, "That's the adrenaline you feel after you've won! You guys were amazing!"

"Thanks!" said the woman in a loud, clear voice. "I appreciate the help!"

Charlie drew in a deep breath then in a splendidly vociferous tone, announced, "LET'S GO BACK TO OUR HOMES AND GET WHAT WE NEED!" Most of the crowd fell into step behind Katt and Charlie, following them to the smoldering remains that lay just a little ways down the hill. The laundry cart idea was forgotten and the crowd came together to help lift the injured woman up. Together, as a group, they carried her to find aid supplies in the remains of the town just a little ways down the road.

Katt grinned to the badger. She put an arm around his neck and pulled his head close to hers so she could speak into his ear over the noisy but unified group of mostly women. "With all the crap I've seen over the last few years… I really needed this… It really helps me believe there's still some good things out there. It's nice to feel hope again."

"I sure as hell didn't believe in hope until now," said Fowler. "I think I needed to see this happen, too. "After this, we'll help you get your ship out of the water and we'll store it in one of the hangers that survived the bombardment from the other day. Just… do me a favor and don't go flying off until real help comes through here. I wouldn't want Venom's Imperial forces to take notice."

"You've got my word. I'm going to send out an encoded message to Corneria. I know of a guy there… he's a friend of a friend, so to speak. But he's the only one who could get my friend's team to come through this area."

"What's your friend's name?" asked Fowler.

"Falco Lombardi. If anyone can get Falco's team to sweep through Zoness, it's _this guy_. He's a General in the Cornerian Army but I know how to get a message through to him… and he's the only person who can get Falco's team out this far… I'll encrypt data from my blackbox recorder and send it to Corneria, then they can use that intel and pass it on to Falco's group – they're a team of elite pilots and just a few weeks ago they made a stab at Venom. It wasn't made very public on planets other than Papetoon and Corneria but trust me… if anyone can free Zoness… it's Team StarFox… and if they come through the area like I know they will… I'm going to fly up and help them to liberate this planet."

Charlie clasped her on the shoulder with a light chuckle. "I sure hope you're right about them coming here one day in the future. And I sure hope they're as good as you think… but don't count your chickens before they hatch, girlie."

She gently ribbed him in the side. "You'll see. I'm going to stick around here and wait for them. It might take a week or two… but I know in my gut… they'll come." She kept her hopes up, surrounded by all the positive energy surrounding her right now. She wanted to see Falco again if only to be near him just a little bit. She also wanted to see the pilots he was flying with, including the leader of the group who Falco began living with recently. From the images she'd seen in the news, it was a cute teenage fox male. Part of her hoped that the whole team was attractive; the other part of her was still completely smitten with Falco Lombardi.

* * *

_Two hours later…_

**The fennec vixen emerged from a **stylish clothing store not far from where North Point University and the rival campus faced one another. She wore a classy looking business outfit overtop the sneaking suit. It was nighttime here in this area; the store she broke into now lacked power in order to keep the alarm system from going off. The lack of power would attract attention on its own in due time but she'd be long gone by then.

Phoenix walked down the sidewalk until she arrived at one of the campus hotspots. The local pub had students from both schools. Several of the males and females out in front had North Point shirts and one of them had a student ID badge hanging from a lanyard. She made her way inside the pub and went into the bathroom.

Fara took out a compact and started applying eye makeup casually. Eventually a student came into the bathroom. Phoenix smiled inwardly and asked, "What school are you from?"

The girl, close to Fara's build, said, "Dravis – you're not one of those losers from North Point, are you?"

"No, of course not," said Fara with a brilliant smile. She snapped the compact shut and turned to the other girl. "I mean, I just wanted to make sure _you_ weren't from North Point because… if you were, you'd be useless to me." In a way, the fennec was being honest. Now it was time to be dishonest. "Have you seen the _new_ student ID cards? They were just issued today but I heard that not everyone got one."

"Really? It's different? I'm not sure which one I got – I just picked up my ID yesterday; I'm new."

The vixen opted to change her tactic. "Oh? Well I'm not sure if you've got the old one or the new one… let me see it and I can tell you." Fara waited while the girl pulled out her student ID card. Phoenix reached out for the card. Keeping the girl distracted, Fara used her other paw to quickly touch the girl on the neck.

"Ow! Hey what the hell…?" The girl felt a pinprick just above her collarbone. Two seconds later she collapsed into Fara's arms. Fara dropped the tiny syringe into the sink and hooked both her arms around the girl's waist, balancing her.

Another girl walked into the bathroom and quirked her brows. Phoenix offered a lame grin. "She's _really_ drunk." She prayed this other girl didn't know the slumped one.

The coyote in the doorway scoffed and said, "She's from _Dravis_ anyhow," pointing at the ID on the floor. The silk-furred coyote smirked and said, "Are you?"

Again, Fara was honest. "Nope. I could care less about the students from that school."

The new girl grinned and said, "It's prank week, you know… Hey, do you want to play a joke on her while she's passed out like that?" The coyote opened one of the bathroom stalls. "Let's strip her down and sit her up on the toilet with the stall door wide open."

"I've got my own prank to pull," said Fara, passing the girl into the coyote's arms. While doing so, she carefully removed a North Point ID hanging from the girl's belt loop. The vixen knelt down, she picked up the Dravis school ID then flashed a grin. "I'll need this; cover my escape."

The coyote appeared to grow excited. "Really? You're going to sneak onto their campus to prank Dravis? That's _awesome_! I didn't see a _thing_. Don't worry, I'll take care of our drunk friend, here."

"You're a peach!" Fara smiled brightly. "Have fun with the Dravis girl."

"What're you going to do over there?"

Fara thought how to word it. No matter what, at least one person has seen her… Phoenix decided to make it work to her advantage. "I'm going to delete all the information in one of their science projects they're working on. I'll replace the entire digital file with 'North Point rules' then I'm going to send all the research to the North Point science department so _they_ get the credit."

"Oh… very sneaky. Plus our schools compete in a lot of the same science fields… Dravis once broke into North Point and stole research then claimed it was their own."

"It's time they get a dose of their own medicine," said Fara with a wink. She pocketed the identification card in her palm and the one she'd hidden in her sleeve. Chin held high, the vixen walked out of the bathroom with a sly grin. Now, by the time Venom would catch onto what happened, they would dismiss it as a school prank instead of a theft of data from Corneria.

Fara left the student pub and headed up the road for the main gates leading onto the Dravis campus. She stopped at the main gate, fooled the security guard with ease and made her way onto the campus grounds.

* * *

**Fox and Falco's Arwings came around, side by side,** and changed their waypoint to head back home. Falco's voice came over the line, sounding disappointed. "Not one single …nothing! I love to fly, man, but all we're doing is flying in an enormous circle then headed home. It sucks!"

"I know, Falco; I understand you want to have some fun but… in a way it's good. That means no one knows we're here and there's nothing to worry about. You want to power down our main guns and do a dogfight practice?"

"Now you're talkin', Foxie!" Falco punched a few keys on the dash then said, "En guarde!"

"…Oh boy." Fox changed the settings on his weapons then came about. "All right… I'm ready when you are. Let's do this thing."

Falco immediately opened fire but Fox throttled up and looped back around. Lombardi became the aggressor, tearing into Fox's aft shields. McCloud hit the brakes causing Falco to cut starboard to avoid a collision. Fox eased to the right and came alongside Falco, opening fire across the avian's hull.

"Avast, ye! I'll send a volly'o fire across yer port bow, bird!"

"No, Fox just… No." Falco bucked to the left, trying to ram his leader.

McCloud performed an extremely loose barrel roll, moving up and over Falco until he was on the falcon's starboard side. Falco hit the brakes to get back behind Fox but the crafty vulpine was ready; he enabled his retro-reverse rockets. Falco came to a stop while Fox actually moved backwards, coming behind Lombardi.

Falco shouted, "Crap, crap!" punching the boost and pulling back on his control yoke. "An ace pilot can't be defeated by his leader, else the leader has no use for the ace pilot. I'd be just one more mouth to feed and…"

"We're not a gang or an enterprise, Falco. We're a _family_."

"Of misfits?"

"Of elite pilots," laughed Fox, firing at Falco again. He scored two hits at an angle, not creating a great deal of virtual damage. Lombardi came back around to reengage Fox head on.

"Slippy is an elite pilot?" exclaimed Falco.

"You ever seen him pilot a tank before?" asked Fox, trying to twist and turn to keep up with the natural flyer. "He's the best tank pilot I've ever seen."

"That may be," said the avian, trying to concentrate on staying alive, "but that means nothing to me! And you might be able to beat me in a video game but _real flying_ is _my_ turf, bushy butt! And I plan to show you who's the boss, here!" He mashed down on his blasters, completely taking down Fox's frontal shields. The two Arwings screamed by one another at breakneck speed.

"Bushy…what? Sometimes you say some pretty weird things when you're hopped up on adrenaline, Falco… So do I fly good enough to be your leader?" asked Fox with a chuckle.

"I won't lie," said Lombardi, somewhat sweating over his controls, "You fly better than any other avian pilot I know. That's high praise, Foxie. But I can still do more with an Arwing in my sleep than _you_ can when you're in _the zone_, McCloud." He loved 'talking crow' to Fox. This was where the two pilots connected the most.

"Well it's time to dethrone the king condor." He opened up his blasters again striking Falco on the side several times but not enough to completely wear down the avian's shields.

"Not on your life, mammal!" He hit the boost, waited until Fox followed in pursuit then hit the brakes. "It's time to bow down to the king of the skies, pal!" He opened fire again, taking down McCloud's aft shields. Fox got away but was now defenseless in two sections. Only his side shielding remained. "Yeah! You're about to make history, Fox! Or, rather, you're about to BE history!"

"You've got to _earn_ it," said McCloud. He pulled up, punched the throttle then turned about, coming at Falco from above. He opened fire; his dual blasters struck at the left and right sides until Falco's side shields were no more. This left the avian with front and rear shields, opposite of what Fox's fighter had available.

"That was pretty smooth, but real birds are more refined in the sky." Lombardi made a loop, taking a few potshots at Fox. McCloud barrel rolled through them and continued on his course. The two Arwings altered their course and, within seconds, were facing one another again. Falco smirked. "You want to play chicken, Foxie?"

"I'm ready." He knew his front shields were gone. The two Arwings continued towards one another quickly. Fox then pulled up, presenting the belly of his ship to Falco, whose blaster volley glanced off the underside shields, keeping McCloud alive and in the match. "Besides, Falco, I keep forgetting that there is a game named after your species… 'Chicken,' I mean."

"Ooh, ho, ho, you're _so_ going to get it," promised the avian. Fox cut to the starboard and Falco came about to get a wide birth of space. He then eased back towards Fox, flanking him from the front left. Falco opened fire and Fox executed a barrel roll to narrowly avoid defeat.

As soon as Fox went passed, Falco eased off the guns. When Fox's barrel roll came to its conclusion, the avian opened fire again. Now behind Fox, several low-powered blaster shots hit Fox's aft section, absorbed into the engine armament.

McCloud's cockpit flashed red and angry sounding alarms protested. The vulpine pilot hooked around and opened fire, bringing Falco's forward, top and bottom shield levels to nothing.

"You're doing good, Foxie," murmured Lombardi. He punched his throttle, coming directly at Fox, causing the wing commander to swerve.

"HEY! Ramming does _real_ damage, so watch it! These things are brand new!"

Falco capitalized on the distracted team leader and opened fire again, causing Fox's Arwing computer to report a win for Falco. Lombardi saw it on his side, too, and crowed wildly, clapping his feathered palms together. "THAT is what I'm _talkin'_ about! That, right there, is a victory for the Star Fox ace pilot! And it's a lesson learned for _you_, Foxie! Don't let a near collision distract you! You've gotta have nerves of steel, baby!"

Fox sighed then chuckled softly, reminding himself that it was just a virtual simulation. "You're right… I let your maneuver startle me and the distraction cost me the match. You win, man."

The avian glared at the monitor. "Fox, you're supposed to wallow in your defeat for my victory to actually mean anything. You can't go being such a good sport all the time or my win is just… hollow, man. At least complain a _little_ bit."

"But you did it fair and square," replied McCloud with an inward chuckle. "I can respect that."

"Screw you, then. Next time I'll cheat just to hear you get pissy." Falco grinned. "C'mon, let's get this stupid patrol done; I wanna head home and gloat to Slippy, Peppy and Fara."

"Yeah, yeah…"

* * *

**Dravis University of Eladard** spanned over a hundred acres. The fashionably dressed vixen crept into a lab and hung her clothes up in a locker for later retrieval. The idea was to sneak in then sneak back out looking like a student. She also wanted to plant the North Point ID card in the Dravis lab. Once stripped down to the sneaking suit, Fara donned a lab coat she'd found in the otherwise empty locker.

She headed out to the main lab office and settled at a computer. Her ears flickered, hearing someone come up from behind her. The vixen kept her composure, typing information in on the PC keyboard.

"Who are you?" asked a man in a thick accent. She could see his reflection in the computer screen… Imperial scum.

Fara lifted the Dravis school ID card. "I'm the new girl – I've been assigned to come down here and repair some of the Kernel Code in the new build." It probably made no sense but it sounded damn good, she thought.

"I see," murmured the lizard. He looked her over, noting the lab coat. "It's getting late and most of the labs down here are restricted so hurry up then go back to your dorm." He walked away.

Fara sighed in silent relief. So far it was going easier than she expected. The computer search brought up a file quite simply labeled, "Imperial Solar Experiment." She glared at the screen, almost insulted by how easy this mission was going thusfar. She clicked on the file but it didn't load. The screen displayed a message. "_This file is in use by PC112hcMAINFRAME_." She cursed the tragic end to her luck.

Next, Fara did a search on the name of the other computer. The operating system opened up a network field, showing several dozen computers, including the one she wanted. She opened the properties window and read the description… '_PC112hcMAINFRAME is located in Laboratory 4Alpha,_' followed by its technical statistics and other random bits of information. At the bottom of the box was another message. '_This computer does not have file sharing enabled. This option is disabled at the source._"

She continued to type, bringing up a map of the campus from the Intranet. She located where she was in comparison to Laboratory 4Alpha and studied the layout and unmarked exits. She committed the map to her memory to the best of her ability then cracked her knuckles. It was time to finish the job, then she could see her father and head home to her boyfriend. Then she'd set up a meeting between the two. A grin tugged at the corner of her muzzle.

The computer was shut down; Fara left the lab and walked down the hall with confident footsteps like she belonged there. She attached the Dravis ID to the front of her lab coat, keeping it closed so that no one would recognize the sneaking suit she wore beneath. She approached the 4A lab and reached for the handle. "_Locked… of course,_" she thought with a frown. She glanced from left to right then removed the lab coat. Fara wrapped it around her paw tightly then punched out the frosted glass window in the door. She dropped the coat through the window along with the shattering glass in order to muffle as much as she could.

Her paw eased through the gap where the frosted window used to be. She reached through and unlocked the door then let herself through. Fara turned on the lights and sat down at the main computer, labeled '112' on the monitor. It was running. She touched the keyboard and the screensaver disappeared.

She opened the file, which was minimized at the bottom then she opened a browser window, copied the file and pasted the contents into an email program and forwarded it to General Pepper and the North Point science staff. She added a blind carbon copy status to Pepper's public email address. She then forwarded it to every person on the address book, literally every contact for the user of this terminal. Fara withdrew the North Point University ID card she'd swiped from the girl in the bathroom at the pub… She stood up, walked back to the door and picked up the lab coat. She shook the glass out of it then let herself back out of the door with the broken glass. She wedged the NPU card between the door and the doorframe so that it appeared that an amateur tried to use it to break and enter the lab. Once the card was wedged into place, Fara headed back the way she came.

"YOU!" Someone shouted down the hall. Fara froze and turned around to face another reptile. He approached the vixen and said, "What are you doing down here at this hour? Who are you?"

Fara lifted a paw and touched her ID, it was still attached to the front of the lab coat. "I'm new to Dravis – I'm working in the study concerning Solar and I saw that someone broke into the office. I was headed back to find a security guard but you'll do. The door was broken – do you need me to give a statement for your report?"

The lizard looked her over then narrowed his eyes. "You're no student… you're that little bitch whose father owns the transportation company!"

Those dual green irises widened. "Now _that_ is impressive – I didn't think Venom soldiers watched Cornerian television." Rather suddenly, she brought her knee up into his groin, reached for his neck, guiding him over then she brought his face into her knee and, before he could even cry out in pain, she took him by the nape of the neck and twisted. The body slumped to the floor.

Fara clinched her jaw. "You're not helping me." She took the body by the collar and began to drag it from the hallway. She pulled, backing her way down the hall until she came to a four-way intersection. The vixen backed into someone. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing the first guard from earlier with his hands on his hips. "Oh, it's you again."

"I saw the whole thing," he sneered. He lifted his weapon.

Fara dropped the dead guard, pivoted on her heel and pushed her paw beneath his wrist, pointing his weapon up. It discharged, sending a bolt of energy up into his jaw. The blaster energy erupted from his forehead and into the ceiling. She stared at him, watching his body drop to the floor. After a brief pause, she flinched then sighed. "Thanks, now I have to hide _both of you_."

A high intensity blaster discharge glanced off the wall. The wide beam nicked her from behind, knocking her to the floor. Phoenix glanced up at another guard at the end of the hall. She patted her left thigh, trying to get sensation back in her leg and left arm. "C'mon," she muttered. Her eyes caught the scorch mark on the wall; she realized that she was lucky to have received the redirected energy burst. It might have done far greater harm to her had the blast hit her full on.

With a grunt of displeasure, she got back to her feet. In her right paw was one of the Imperial blasters. She pointed it and fired. The plasma discharge struck the guard at the end of the hall above his shoulders. His body crumbled to the floor.

From all the commotion, she heard multiple footfalls coming her way. She broke into a hard run and came to the first fire alarm she saw. Phoenix used the gun to break the glass then she pulled down on the handle, setting off the school-wide siren. She continued down the hall. She knew that creating panic and chaos was her only chance, but the volume of the klaxon made it difficult to use her ears.

At the end of the next hallway, Fara brought her arm up; it connected line a clothesline, flipping the guard onto his back. She brought her heel down on his neck, disabling him. With her other foot, she kicked away his gun and continued up the next hall in a hurry to get upstairs where all the students were most likely running in every direction.

Two gunshots rang out behind her, one of which struck the ceiling. Drop ceiling tiles fell in her way. She blazed through them with ease. The fennec found a staircase and dashed into it with lizards hot on her heels. She removed the white lab coat and dropped it on the steps to create a footpath obstacle. However, she doubted it would slow them down.

Taking the stairs two and three at a time, she hurried up two levels then left the staircase, heading into mass chaos. Everyone was going every-which-way. Her gray stealth suit made her blend into the dim lighting of the area from a distance but with the guards only a matter of footfalls behind, they came through the stairwell door only seconds after her.

To her surprise, they opened fire in public. Many students dove to the floor, seeing the gunshots. Others continued to hurry for the nearest exits. Fara pushed her way through, trying to keep as many people between herself and the Imperial guards as possible. Not many students had large fennec ears, making her an obvious target. They continued to fire in her direction as she bobbed and weaved through the sea of confused students.

With nimble footfalls, she made her way towards the campus divider line. Fara disappeared into a small park with a line of trees at the edge of the property. It was one of only a handful of wooded areas on the entire planet. She found the wall, put her foot up on it and bounded back towards the nearest tree trunk, back towards the wall, up and then over. She threw her arms forward, landing in a roll. Phoenix got to her feet and sprinted towards the center of the North Point Campus.

The wall, behind her, exploded from a thermal charge. Lizards poured through – she glanced over her shoulder and blinked at the sheer number of them. "Crap!" Fara charged right for the center of the next campus over, panting hard. Blaster volley flew by on all sides.

A blaster discharge came so close to her shoulder that the wake of the energy threw her off balance. She spun like a top; her paws met the trunk of a tree and she pushed away from it. Her body and footing were like that of a ballerina and she narrowly avoided falling. "I impressed myself," she huffed, feeling lucky. Up ahead, the patch of trees cleared and she could see buildings.

School security guards took notice of the blaster fire at the edge of the North Point campus and called in reinforcements. Fara headed for them, nearly in the clear. She lifted her arms above her head to show that she was unarmed. The reptilian pursuers continued to fire from behind her.

The North Point staff began to fire back at the lizards less than a hundred feet behind the vixen. She sucked in a deep breath then shouted, "I'M UNARMED!" to the security guards ahead of her. One of them took a blaster shot to the chest but the armored vest beneath his uniform absorbed the impact of the energy round. He was thrown back but sat up quickly.

Another shot lanced out and Fara found herself ejected forward, head over heels. Her body struck the security police cruiser. Momentum carried her over the hood – she rolled several times and came to a stop on the pavement near the Science Department building's side entrance. Her body felt numb but something hot filled her lower torso. It was like holding a glass dishpan fresh from the oven with thin oven mitts.

More North Point security guards came into the area and immediately assumed a defensive position, firing back at the incoming Venom soldiers. Fara propped herself up on a curb, glancing down at a gaping hole in her lower torso. She questioned whether or not she'd lost her kidneys, liver, appendix and anything else considerably vital. Her body began to shiver from shock as organ failure took her down.

One of the security guards dropped to his knees, hovering protectively over her. She spoke into his ear. "My father is Zerda Phoenix; he's here on this planet. Call him; I don't have long."

"We'll get you stabilized and on live support if it comes to that," he promised, adding, "Emergency response services is only minutes away. Hold on Miss Phoenix! How can we reach your father?"

She murmured his personal communicator number into the man's ear then made him repeat it. "Tell daddy to call General Pepper on Corneria."

"Ma'am, you can tell him when he arrives; you'll be fine, just hold on!"

Fara slumped, using the curb as a pillow for her head. It was actually comfortable considering that she couldn't feel much of anything. "Tell daddy to … contact General John Pepper and that I love him… and that I'm sorry…" She paused, frowned and said, "I'm so sorry, Fox. I should have taken your offer." She could hardly hold her eyes open. The sensation of cold set in but her shivering lessened. The security guard continued to talk to her but she couldn't understand what he was saying anymore. It was too muffled and distant. Everything faded away; Fara Phoenix felt herself begin to die… It wasn't like she expected… it didn't actually hurt. Oddly, it felt good save for the nagging faraway sensation of guilt. Why couldn't she just kiss Fox and apologize to him personally? It all came too fast. But then… there was nothing.

* * *

**The fennec adjusted his bowtie** then, out of frustration, he jerked the knot and pulled the fabric from his collar. "What the hell do you _mean_ you don't have the medical technology to save her? You're keeping her alive on life support so you have no problems keeping her from dying – why can't you _restore_ her?!"

General Pepper placed a paw on Zerda Phoenix's shoulder. "He's the leading organ restoration doctor in Lylat, Mister Phoenix; if he says it can't be done there is nothing we can do for her."

"You're the head of the damned military," said Zerda, "What happened? Why was she being shot at, here? Are these the same idiot lizards that tried to harm her on my ship a few weeks ago? What aren't you telling me?"

Pepper shook his head. "She was on vacation, Mister Phoenix. She was staying with her new boyfriend, Fox McCloud."

"The MERCENARY? She said she was friends with him… even said she was training him… but I've heard nothing of a relationship with Fox McCloud," he retorted. "Why was she here?" He shook his head before Pepper could think of a lie. "Most likely to visit me by surprise. Why did Venom soldiers attack her? Dammit, John Pepper, you had better do a better job of protecting Lylat by putting a stop to this Imperial tyranny. They have no right to bully citizens like this! We're supposed to be safe under military protection!"

Bosworth, the portly pig at Zerda's side, placed a hand on his other shoulder. "Sir, since the military can't do anything to help perhaps we should contract a mercenary team to strike at Venom out of vengeance. Miss Fara placed a great deal of stock in the Star Fox team." In his other hand, he held Fara's belongings from the Arwing she'd flown… a purple leotard, green sweat pants and a silver aviator's jacket.

Phoenix gritted his teeth then turned to Pepper, clinching the fabric of his bowtie. "See to it you send those boys in to do what they did recently… but pay them to _finish_ the job this time. For every dollar you pay them, I'll match it." He then turned to the doctor and said, "How much will it cost to insure that she lives? Name your price and I'll make out a check."

The doctor shook his head. "Mister Phoenix, the only way she can be saved is by putting her into cryogenic stasis. In a few years, when our technology has advanced, we'll bring her back and operate accordingly. It will require cloning of her organs then we can surgically replace them and stitch up her wounds. The good news is she will not age while she's in suspended animation, extending her lifespan in the end. The problem is… we'll need to wait until such technology is available."

Zerda swallowed. He placed his paw on Bosworth's, gently easing it from his shoulder. He then stepped away from Pepper's paw and guided the doctor away from the group. "Do it. I'll donate to your university. I want _you_ to take this money and invest it into research. Do what it takes to revolutionize your medical technology then _save my daughter_, do you understand? I don't care if it takes two decades… I want her to live out a happy and healthy life. Don't sell me on false hope. I want to know how close you are to being able to restore her."

The doctor folded his paws reverently, led away from the other two men. "Mister Phoenix, you're talking about a great deal of money sunk into the school, not the field or even _me_. The school is where we discover and learn the leading edge of grafting tissue, cloning organs and reversing the dead nerves; the wound was cauterized shut from the energy blast. That section has to be cut away and restored. It's beyond our abilities but with grants and invested dollars, we can afford to turn our attention into the research necessary to repair her. I don't want money made out to _me_. Make the money out to the school and I'll _personally_ lead the way into the future of this technology. We'll… we'll even name the new medical technology building after _you_!"

"I'm not concerned with what you call the building," Zerda sneered. "I want my daughter back. Stop being a salesman and start being a doctor. I've heard that Andross Oikonny could bring her back. Do you want me to give _him_ billions of credits to restore her _now_? Why is an idiot madman years ahead of _you_, the leader in the field? Do you _know_ what he'll do with that money? He'll strengthen the Venom army – the crazed killers who did this to her! But if you can't take this seriously then I'll do what I need to do in order to have her back and YES, I'm THAT SELFISH!"

"I didn't mean any disrespect, Mister Phoenix. You're right – the name of a building is trite and meaningless next to your daughter's life. We'll put her into cryogenic stasis without delay to preserve her mind and body. We'll take your investment check and begin immediate research into developing the necessary medical technology to save her life, sir. I honestly meant no disrespect."

"Very well. You'll get your money, boy. Put my daughter into your confounded freezer; I do not want her to die and that is my _only_ concern."

"Thank you for your patience, Mister Phoenix. I'll have her placed into stasis _right now_, before another moment passes." The doctor drew out his phone and made a call, walking away from the shorter, older man.

Zerda returned to Bosworth and Pepper. "You two boys were her friends. You're both invited to her wake, of course. She won't be allowed to die, however. I'm having her put into cryogenic stasis until such a time the proper medical technology exists." He held a paw out to his stout sidekick and said, "Give me your phone." Bosworth handed over his phone. Zerda Phoenix turned back to Pepper and said, "How do I directly contact Mister Fox McCloud? If he really was her new boyfriend, I should be the one to talk to him."

"Are you going to tell him that she's being put into cryogenic stasis?" asked Pepper.

"No," said Zerda. "Neither are you. NO ONE can know of this. If news of it leaks… and if Venom finds out that she's being kept in a cryogenics facility, they may make another attempt on her. NO ONE can know. Absolutely nobody, do you understand me? This is not to go into one of your military reports – this is a personal favor. I want you to list her as a casualty in her personal file. When she wakes up, if the war hasn't ended yet… I may attempt to persuade her into changing her name and joining a witness protection program. It depends on her military contract and how many years this takes… hopefully it will be soon." He turned back to Bosworth and said, "Tell the media that her body is to be cremated and the urn is to be buried in the family-owned plot. I cannot have Venom finish what they started. Now… everyone be quiet while I contact mister McCloud. I do plan to invite him to the wake out of respect for my daughter's friendship with him."

* * *

_Minutes later…_

**Fox McCloud sank to his seat**on the bridge. Her lower lip trembled. "I'll… be… at the wake, Mister Phoenix." Very few words followed and the two disconnected the transmission. Fox closed his paw into a fist, turning to Peppy and Slippy. "I… it's my fault. I sent her out there alone. I did this."

Falco approached the centralized bridge seat from behind. "Fox, you couldn't have known this was going to happen. Besides, she deviated from what you asked… she stopped by on Eladard to see her father and Venom got the jump on her – you heard the old man, he said so. This isn't the first damn time they made a move on her."

Fox whirled about in the chair and snapped at Falco's hand. The avian drew it back quickly. McCloud sneered in anger. "No! If she had one of us with her, she could have had cover and she'd be alive! I sent her out there alone. Who is to say that Venom didn't chase her from the asteroids to Eladard? Who is to say ANYTHING? She was ALONE and we ALL KNEW that Venom has made more than one attempt on her! I SHOULD NOT have left her ALONE, so it is MY FAULT. I made the roster, I gave her the job and _I_ made the decision to send her somewhere _without_ HELP! So it's MY FAULT!" No one else spoke. Fox, seething with animosity, murmured low. "Andross will die. He took my mother then my father… then his Imperial forces took my mate. I will personally kill that man."

"We're not quite ready yet," said Peppy in a gentle voice, trying to remain respectful and mindful of Fox's anguish and fresh hurt. "But we _will_ be ready very soon. Rushing into things will get all of your friends killed. If you rush in, everyone dies."

Fox shook his head slowly. "I lost my family and my first true love… but I won't let them take my new family… and that's what we are… we're family. You're my family now. And with your help, the four of us will strike Venom down, find Andross and _destroy_ him. No matter what it takes, he has to pay. Andross might have started this war, but _I_ am going to _end it_. That's what Fara would have wanted. That's what my father would have wanted." His voice became eerily calm and mellow. "Even as much as they would want this to end… I'm not killing Andross for _them_. I'm killing Andross for _me_. For every nemesis he's employed to stop me, I'll cut him deeply. Then, when it's just us… man to man… I'll take off his god-forsaken head. Andross Oikonny is my _arch_ nemesis and he'll pay dearly in blood for every f- - king sin and every f- -king trespass." He looked back at his friends. He didn't care how strange his speech sounded. He wasn't thinking right; he was bottling all of his rage so that he could save it for Andross. The vulpine pilot trembled from adrenaline and his heart pounded. "He _will_ die."

Falco rubbed his forehead then said, "We're with you man… just… keep it together when you're up in the cockpit. Don't go losing your head, man. We're behind you all the way. Let's finish training. Let's become our very best. Andross won't know what hit him. All the fools that stand between us… they won't last long. Just…" He turned to Peppy and rolled his wrist, saying, "You know what I'm trying to say, right old timer?"

Hare nodded. "Falco's right, Fox. Don't let your anger get the best of you. You need to stay calm and be focused to win. Don't make this into a vendetta. Victory by vengeance is dangerous. You have to do this yourself and I respect that… but do _not_ let revenge cloud your judgment. Stay clear-minded and sharp. When we finally have the opportunity to strike the heart of Venom, I don't even want you to bring up Fara or your parents. I want it at the back of your mind; I mean it. If you make this too personal, you'll become a danger to yourself. You have to be as professional as possible in order to pull this off."

Fox stared right through Peppy as though the older rabbit wasn't even there. "I understand. I want the three of you in the sky right now. I'd join you but…"

"I wouldn't let you fly right now anyhow," said Peppy. "You're grounded for the moment. You need to grieve before you're allowed to fly again. I'll take you to Eladard right now. I'm not sure how much you'll be able to learn from them… you heard Mister Phoenix… they're having a wake instead of a viewing… most likely that means there is no body so I need you to take a few minutes to psych yourself up for this."

"Peppy…" Fox trailed off and shook his head. "I've learned how to bottle my feelings and move on. I've learned how to become business-like and professional in the face of loss. I've learned how to be stoic, although I do lose my temper regarding Andross sometimes…" He trailed off and frowned.

Fox shook his head, bringing a paw to his face. He used the flat of his thumb and tip of his forefinger to rub the tears from his eyes. "And to think I was about to invite her to join the team… if anything, I would have put her in _more_ danger by painting an enormous target on her and then dragging her into our skirmish with Venom. That was _stupid_ of me to even offer. I was an idiot." He stood up and headed for the door. "Peppy, take me to Eladard and drop me off so I can pay my respects at this upcoming wake. While I'm gone for the next few days, I want the three of you to train your tails off."

The vulpine team leader turned back to Falco and Slippy. "Do everything Peppy tells you to do. When I get back, there will be absolutely _no mention_ of Fara or my parents. This is how I heal so _don't_ bring it up. I'll be ready to fight and win and I'll try to be as stoic and professional as I can… I want to be a good leader and I want all of us to walk away from this …drama. I love you guys; you're all I have left…" He motioned to Hare, heading through the door. "Let's go, Peppy. I'm ready to go _now_."

* * *

A/N: _WOW, big chapter huh? Okay, so … Fara had a quick and sudden takedown from a lucky shot. Nothing dramatic and drawn out… just a sudden blink of an eye, as quickly as it could happen for any soldier in wartime. It's just a reminder how fast someone we love can disappear when on a battlefield. There one moment and gone the next. It wasn't as brutal as her traumatic drama scene in THE CURSE but it wasn't a slow Hollywood scene where she'd be nominated for an academy award, either. Just a sudden shot through the back, out through the front… Her body begins to fail and she only has enough time to ramble to a campus security guard before her body shuts down. Then, because she's on the grounds of a medical university, they're able to keep her body functioning long enough, on Life Support, to talk to her father and General Pepper, who wasn't able to tell them WHY she was on Eladard in the first place. They also decided not to tell Fox that she was going to be put into suspended animation so that news will not be leaked, in order to protect her whereabouts. Sadly, this is the last we'll see of Fara in THIS story. Sorry Wulf51, sorry Destructor, sorry gang. BUT! She's brought back in Reflections of a New Generation, which is already completed and has been posted since, like… 2006. So if you haven't read it and you like Fara… she's in that story because it takes place in the future and she crosses paths with Marcus S. McCloud, the son of Fox and Krystal. I'll be updating the sequel to that story, Reflections of Marcus, very soon. _

_When I return to this story, we'll be in ACT 2 - The conclusion of the Lylat War and the years to follow. It's an eight year slide, filled with lots of interesting things. Later on, we'll come to ACT 3... the Krystal years. HOWEVER... that part of the story starts after Reflections of THE FUTURE concludes... leading up to SF: Command... then ACT4! Fox and Krystal being reunited and ultimately getting married and having Marcus. FINALLY, act 5! Fox and Krystal play FAMILY. They retire for a while then go back to business, while Peppy and Slippy retire. Falco comes and goes on and off... I'll focus on Fox and Marcus flying as well as Krystal and Marcus training in the ways of the Cerininan people. I'm NOT SURE how long this story will be when I finish it... but I think I'll end it with Marcus going off to school and the original Star Fox team getting back together. Heh. I dunno yet. So yeah... back to Reflections of Marcus McCloud for now. SEE YOU THERE!  
_

_-_Kit


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: _ I AM SORRY if you feel I rushed the beginning of this chapter I have my reasons and I explain those reasons in just a second. First, let me start by saying I HAVE PLANS FOR THIS STORY! IT does NOT END with the DEFEAT OF ANDROSS! I always said I would _never_ re-write the games. _

_You play them, they're canon and no one can argue it. Reflections, as a series, has always been about what happens BETWEEN the games or, at the VERY LEAST, scenes take place between the levels. However, the beginning of this chapter breaks that rule of thumb by touching on the end of the SF64's Venom2 ending path. _

_I TRY to avoid completely retelling what happens in the game, because we already KNOW by playing it. And if we don't, there are youtube videos available. At any rate, I'm sorry if it seems as though I've rushed the telling of that final mission… I just didn't want to dwell on telling a story about what we all know happens, since the game plays out how it's SUPPOSED to play out and THAT story is already TOLD the way it's supposed to be. _

_However, it's now time to dabble into SF2 for the SNES… Since that game was never released and it's not technically a canonical story, I can have fun with that and now we can get into what happens between Star Fox, Miyu and Fay, and the destruction of Asteropolis, the enemy corebase belonging to Andross. THEN! I'll go into detail about how Andross escapes and why he goes to Cerinia and WHY Krystal would KNOW him at the beginning of SF Adventures, years later. _

_ALSO! I plan to have Falco leave the team and rejoin Katt. I've already mentioned Captain Shears in this story. The stuff leading up to Dino Planet will take place but not until later on. Yeah, this story is going to wind up being ENORMOUS because there's a LOT of stuff that happens leading up to meeting Krystal. _

_FINALLY! If you remember reading earlier in this story, how I would jump to Fara and tell the story, then back to Fox… and I did it several times until I was able to merge their paths in this story. I'm going to do that with Krystal for this story! I'm going to start with her on Cerinia. I'm going to write out the plight of the planet and her first week or two on Sauria and how she met Kite, got her infamous first outfit and why Tricky knows her in Assault. This should help explain why Tricky rambles on at Fox before Slippy can finish the translator device… because Tricky, having met Krystal, thinks that all furred aliens must know how to speak his language (as Krystal did, with him.) Once Krystal is captured atop of Krazoa Palace, the surviving triceratops guards eventually return to inform the Queen Earth Walker that they were beaten, their leader was captured (IE: her husband) and that the blue-furred girl was also captured. THAT is when the Queen Earthwalker will contact Corneria for help with yet another distress beacon. THUS… the entry of Fox and the crew. Then this story will lead into SF Adventures, which leads into Reflections of Krystal. I really need to get back to that story and finish re-editing it. xD_

_

* * *

_

Chapter -**19**-  
"_End of the War_"

_Six weeks later…_

**Fox folded his arms, looking out at Venom from the bridge of GreatFox.** He'd not said very much for the entire mission. He'd spoken to Bill while over Katina and again in Sector X, he'd spoken to Falco a little bit back on Corneria but, for the most part, Fox remained surprisingly silent. Area-6 smoldered to the aft of their dreadnought and it made the young pilot feel better.

"Any sign of Bill or Katt?" asked Peppy. Fox turned around to face the rabbit, whose flight jacket was more of a knee-length coat. He offered a shrug to which Peppy frowned and said, "Fox… It's been a month and a half… You've not said much. You want to talk about this?"

"Not really. We have a job to do."

Falco stepped onto the bridge and looked around at the other pilots. He had a tube in his left fist and opened the top with his right then withdrew an elongated roll of poster paper. "I've been savin' this for the right time." He tossed the plastic tube towards Slippy, who caught it in his palms. Lombardi withdrew an adhesive gel dispenser from his jacket pocket and sprayed a spot on the wall.

Peppy, Fox and Slippy watched on with mild interest. Falco put the paper roll up against the wall then unrolled it carefully, making sure to stand in front of it. He withdrew the adhesive dispenser again and carefully gelled the edges of the poster then he finished mounting it and stepped back. No one spoke.

He moved to the left of the poster and held his feathery fingers outwards, proudly displaying the picture of a scantly clad vixen with a hand-written signature scribbled over the front. "C'mon, you guys! This is one of the most famous women in Cornerian show business, wearing almost nothing, and it's signed! To us! Can't you read this?!"

Peppy cleared his throat and approached the poster. He folded his arms and narrowed his eyes to downplay the fact that he had to squint somewhat. "To the fearless, brave and 'sexy' members of Team StarFox – we simple Cornerians love you and appreciate everything you've done for us!" He glanced back at Slippy and Fox. "She signed her name at the bottom and added some X's and O's."

Slippy glanced at Fox then back at Falco. "She's hot for a mammal."

"I'll say!" Falco added. "She said she wants to give Fox a little kiss for saving the planet. Now that we're about to do it _again_, on a much bigger scale, she'll probably want to give him a lot more than a kiss, huh?" He beamed, proud of himself.

"Yeah," murmured McCloud. "Real nice." He approached the poster at the far end of the bridge and looked it over. The woman was tone and beautiful. That much was undeniable.

"She's a rich actress," said Slippy thoughtfully.

Fox cut his eyes to his school-hood friend and shrugged. "I've never been impressed by a girl's money. You guys should know _that_ much about me." He pursed his lips together, drew in a slow breath, inflating his chest, then he expelled it in a breathy sigh. "But she's no Fara Phoenix."

No one spoke; they didn't dare. It was the first time in six weeks they'd heard Fox speak the name. Falco recalled the conversation he'd had the day Fox met Fara back on the Phoenix Star Liner. "Fara Phoenix… nice name, huh?"

"Yeah, that it was." Fox kept his eyes on the poster but wasn't really looking _at_ it. It was more like he was looking _through_ it.

Peppy placed a paw on McCloud's shoulder. "She'd want you to finish this."

Slippy chimed in softly. "She'd be so proud of you for getting us this far, Fox. We should finish this for her."

Another long, deep breath of air then, once again, Fox sighed wantonly. "No, Slippy. I'm not doing this for her, for dad or even for mom." He cut his eyes to Peppy and offered a thin, tight-lipped smile. The fleeting expression lasted a mere second. "I'm doing this for _me_. Andross was consumed with jealousy, vengeance and hatred. I'm not him. I'll never _be_ him." He turned to his team and eyed them for a moment. "I don't want to talk about her, or my parents or Bill, or Katt… I want to talk about Team StarFox finishing this goddess-forsaken _mess_. I want to talk about Andross. I want to talk about finishing this once and for all, then I want to talk about feeding that moron's remains to a Monarch Dodora. Any questions?"

Slippy swallowed and remained quiet. Falco nodded, impressed by the pep talk and also remained quiet. Peppy, however, offered the young man a smile. "This is the most I've heard you say since her wake. I love you Fox. You're a hardworking boy and your father would be _so_ proud of you. I've not been to this planet in years and the memories I have from that time were… they're bad." He glanced to Slippy and Falco. "I trust you boys, though. I didn't necessarily distrust Pigma but I _know_ you boys won't betray each other so I feel safe and I feel confident to finish this. Andross won't be easy. Now that he's seen how close James and I got, and now that his forces have stolen information from the Arwing… he's going to have his defenses ready for us. Star Wolf may be involved again, like they were on Bolse and on Fortuna. They've flown against us twice, now, so they know our moves. This won't be as easy."

Falco shrugged. "Third time is the charm. This time, they'll crash and burn for _good_. Now they've been beaten twice, so now they're _afraid_ of us."

Fox glanced back to Peppy and shrugged. "I appreciate your attempt of a speech but… let's just go down there and finish this."

"Fair enough, Fox." Hare nodded to Lombardi and Toad. "You heard the boss. It's time to clock in and make some overtime."

"What're we up to?" asked Slippy.

"I've not reviewed the blackboxes," said Peppy with a casual up-lift of his paw, in place of a shoulder shrug. "But I'm sure we're going to be _quite_ wealthy off of this. We've done one _hell_ of a job cleaning up those other planets." He walked off the bridge. Slippy and Falco followed.

Fox looked back at the poster and sighed longingly. "Fara, we could really use your help right now. Watch over us." He looked back to the door then left the bridge with a bit of resolve in his heart. He knew she was gone and he knew it was his fault… but he also vowed not to lose another teammate. Fox approached a porthole and glanced down at Venom, teeth clenched. "Andross, you've killed everyone I've ever cared about. You're _not_ going to kill my friends. This is _personal_." He turned away from the porthole then hurried down the corridor towards the flight deck.

* * *

_Thirty minutes later…_

** "Those **_**tin cans**_** are no match, huh?"** Falco rolled his eyes, watching Leon Powalski's fighter spiral through the air. It struck one of the large stone pillars surrounding the entrance to the main base then hit the ground and rolled. A cloud of dust rose up around it. The avian glanced to the other side, seeing a plume of smoke emanating from Andrew Oikonny's ship in the distance. "I bet Andross is quakin' in his boots right now. I really hope he heard Fox's message and is prayin' his tailless ass off, right now!" A Nova Bomb caused Wolf O'Donnell's ship to swerve, followed by a charged beam shot, easily absorbed by the Wolfen's powerful shield generator, enhanced by the proximity of Andross' base.

Falco blinked. His dashboard communication panels lit up, watching Fox, in the distance, chase down Pigma Dengar the old fashion way with weapons that worked… twin wing blasters. The swine was tailing Peppy Hare and Fox was doing a fantastic job of picking apart the pig. The avian was visually impressed. "Damn, he's not messin' around over there." Another Wolfen streaked through the area, getting behind Fox. As soon as it did, McCloud's Arwing pulled a loop.

"What the heck?!" shouted Wolf over the all-station channel. He tried getting behind McCloud again, creating a chain of fighters in the sky. "You'll be seeing your dad soon, Fox!"

Again, McCloud pulled a simple loop, got behind Wolf and opened fire. O'Donnell quickly broke pursuit, leaving Pigma undefended. Fox zeroed in on his father's traitor and mashed down on his twin blasters. Lombardi watched as the damaged wolfen gave and burst into flames. Peppy pulled away and Dengar's fighter began to plummet. "My beautiful reward!" he shouted. The fighter glanced off the domed base then went wildly spiraling to the ground.

Fox McCloud's Arwing came back around and headed after Wolf, aggressively throwing blaster volley towards the nemesis. "There's one more to go," Fox said over the communicator.

Lombardi blinked. "That kid is a machine today!"

Slippy's voice came over the channel. "Hey, nice aircraft guys!" he sounded as though he was being complimentary but, considering Wolf was the only one left, Falco cracked a thin smile.

Next voice over the radio belonged to Wolf again. "You're good, but I'm _better_." Less than ten seconds later, Wolf shouted, "NO WAY! I don't believe it!" His cry was punctuated by a distant explosion far below.

"I'll go it alone from here," Fox announced.

Lombardi's eyes widened. "Fox!!" But before he could talk any sense into his friend, the lead Arwing disappeared into the base and blast doors sealed shut behind it. "Damn!"

Meanwhile, inside the main Venom Base, Fox narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He wasn't about to let Andross have the chance to kill his friends. They were his family now and this… _this_ was personal. His ears perked, hearing Andross' hauntingly deep voice. "I've been waiting for you, Star Fox."

Fox didn't bother responding over the communicator. "Too bad," he murmured beneath his breath, "All you're getting is _me_."

"You know that _I_ control the galaxy." Fox didn't reply this time. Andross continued. "It's foolish to come against me." McCloud refused to say a word. The Emperor added, "Now you will feel TRUE pain."

Fox hit the boost, coming through the final tunnel and into an _enormous_ underground area. There was another face with floating hands like last time. Fox gritted his teeth. '_What? Another damn robotic foe?'_ However, his sensors showed biological mass floating before him. Fox recalled what he'd done last time and began shooting at the eyes and hands. '_If this is a bioweapon… is Andross inside of that thing? Did he somehow turn himself into this thing?'_ However, seeing Andross' face glaring up at him from the dash panel suggested otherwise… no… he knew Andross was alive and well and quite normal somewhere around here.

Minutes flew by and the face, similar to the one he faced before, exploded, revealing the most bizarre thing imaginable… a brain with enormous tentacles. The eyeballs detached and rushed towards his Arwing. "Only I have the brains to rule Lylat."

Fox groaned softly, annoyed by the idiotic pun. He felt confidence well up in his heart and scoffed. "So, Andross, you show your true form!" The dictator's reply was that of an arc of lightning lancing out. McCloud stomped on his rudder pedals and jerked his flight stick to avoid the intense, concentrated beam. It was then he realized that the lightning acted as a leash to each eyeball, floating about the cavern.

Deafening laughter could be heard from outside of the cockpit, causing Fox's ears to lower. He pulled back on the stick, targeted one of the eyes and shot at it, causing it to become visibly damaged. He felt lightheaded. It was as though he was drunk and pondered if this was the side effect of Andross' fabled telekinetic amplification device. He'd heard that it made some people docile and open to suggestion. But then he recalled Fara. She told him that it was a rumor concocted by reptile sympathizers.

He came about and looked over the behemoth freak. What if Andross was virtually _wired up_ to this monstrosity, safe and sound somewhere else? McCloud was a smart guy but he wasn't a doctor… '_What's the weakest and most hazardous part to shoot?'_ he thought while blasting harmlessly at the front of the large _thing_. He came around again then his eyes widened. "Medulla Oblongata!" he said to himself and opened fire on the lower rear section of the brain. It controlled breathing and heart functionality. Again, McCloud struggled with the sensation of blacking out, as though he were in a dreamlike trance. Was any of this even real?

Fox gritted his teeth, hammering away at the lower portion of the brain but, as he got closer to it, the beastly creature disappeared. It teleported clear across the chamber, coming after Fox much to his surprise. McCloud's head ached horribly and he felt as though he were inside of a bad dream; if he just gave in, would he wake up from it?

One of the eyes came about and Fox double-tapped his rudder pedals then eased into the controls. His Arwing rotated on its vertical axis, spinning away from the attacker. He pulled around behind it and began a vicious attack. Deep down, some part of him wanted this fight to be face-to-face. The eye jerked away, attempting to use its lightning-like leash to catch the Arwing but Fox was ready for it. He rolled again and hit the brakes. The eye came back into his cone of fire. Fox aggressively thumbed the top of his control stick. The ship's guns ripped into the back of the strange eye until it burst and disintegrated.

The other eye fell just as quickly, leaving Fox to question whether or not his minor victory was luck or skill. Something struck his ship, causing his proximity alarm to screech in protest. The cockpit flashed in red as a warning but it was little more than a distraction.

He came around, rolled over then pulled half a loop. The clean Split-S maneuver put him behind the large brain-shaped creature again. Fox peered down the length of the Arwing's hull. Two small alignment fins stood up just beyond the canopy. He was staring straight through them at the exposed Achilles Heel; Fox opened fire with gritted teeth. As he drew nearer to the object it once again disappeared with strange laughter heard from outside of his craft.

He found it difficult not to fall for the psychological trick – his head was cloudy and his senses were dull. His body felt light and his chest tightened. Fox shook his head hard, blinked a few times then looked around. The brain was nowhere to be seen. His gaze dropped to his sensor scope. The Arwing's advanced instrument panel displayed an object at the edge of the small video screen. Fox hit the boost, speeding towards it but, once again, the object disappeared.

When it reappeared, it was directly behind him! Fox cut hard but wasn't able to catch up with the object. He tapped his brakes and, slowly but surely, the Arwing's tight cornering abilities helped to edge him into position. The brain slowly moved from right to left, until it was directly in front of him. It began to undulate, as if about to waver into another teleportation sequence. Fox mashed down on his blasters again, trying to get a strike in before it could get away. His ears lowered once more – this time at the sound of a scream. Its terrifying shriek startled the pilot, whose head was swimming with acid-trip visions.

The heart-stopping dolor came to a sudden conclusion. Everything blurred together as the brain began to rupture in a blaze of plasma fire until he heard Andross' angry shout. "If I go down, I'm taking you with me!"

His head started to clear with the destruction of the bioweapon. It was then that it imploded, releasing incredible energy. The powerful wave that followed hit the Arwing and literally threw it through the void. The shields failed; proximity and other warning alerts filled his ears. The canopy turned to a flash of white and Fox shouted at the top of his lungs from the pain in his head.

The telekinetic amplifier exploded and, as a side effect, it sent intense waves of energy through the area, causing Fox excruciating pain. He felt as though his head was swelling. Was this what an aneurysm felt like? Fox felt his body grow comfortably numb and he struggled to keep his chin lifted. His heart slowed, his body slumped in the cockpit.

A voice in the distance was rich in tone. As it spoke in a fatherly, endearing way, Fox realized that he recognized the voice. He'd not heard it in _ages_. In fact, Fox questioned his own ears, doing a double take at what he heard. "Don't ever give up, my son."

'_Was that…? Could that seriously be my…' _"Father?!" he exclaimed, vocalizing the last word of his thoughts. His head began to clear, the darkness dissipating, leaving Fox with a mere headache. He _thought_ he saw a tractor beam aura around his ship but as his head cleared, he blinked again and the field was gone. Ahead of him, he saw another fighter's plasma engine booster.

Again, the voice of James McCloud called to him. "Follow me, Fox." The couple moved through the intricate tunnel systems; he followed the ghost-like second ship, which moved gracefully as though the pilot had memorized the layout of this underground maze. "This way, Fox." Young McCloud struggled to find words to reply. His head was clearing and he recognized the danger of the exploding base all around him but he couldn't find his voice with which to speak to the other ship. The Arwing's computer registered the other fighter by its computer-encoded serial number and identified the pilot as Jim McCloud. James spoke again. "Never give up. Trust your instincts." He was wearing his signature sunshades. They reflected the bright flames pouring out of the walls as the labyrinth crumbled around them. Again, the calm, complimentary voice continued. "You've become so strong, Fox." The lead fighter opened fire, blowing the blast doors right off their tracks.

The world outside of the canopy dimmed and Fox was greeted with the endless night expanse over Venom. Behind him, the exploding dome base was left behind. Up ahead, the other fighter launched straight into the stratosphere, disappearing as through cloaked by the night sky. He couldn't even see the flicker of running lights anymore.

A little to the port, Fox could see the underbelly of GreatFox, illuminated by the distant glow of Solar as it continued to sink, far beyond Venom's western horizon. As Fox gained in altitude, he could begin to make out the setting second sun. The far side of GreatFox was enshrouded by the darkness of space. He glanced back to the starboard, looking for his father's fighter.

Peppy's voice shook him from his reverie. "Fox! You're okay!"

"Way to go, Fox!" His childhood best friend's voice was, for once, somewhat comforting to hear.

Falco's voice joined the channel. "That's our leader!" But Fox was too busy looking over his left shoulder as his fighter evened out with the GreatFox, illuminated at an angle by Lylat, whose radiance was partially eclipsed by the proximity of Venom, below.

"What's wrong, Fox?" asked Peppy.

He glanced back one last time then sighed longingly. He took a fresh, deep breath, shook his head as if clearing his mind and, in a firm, business-like tone, announced, "Nothing… Nothing's wrong." He saw Bill's fighter on the port and Katt's cross on the starboard of GreatFox. He was proud of his work but… for some reason, he just wanted this day to be _over_. Andross had hailed him from the safety and security of another location, leaving Fox to fight that _thing_. It may have resembled Andross but it sure wasn't him.

Without another word, McCloud maneuvered to land. His heart was racing and he wanted to get out of the cockpit for once. He also wanted to get paid. But right now, he just wanted a moment to himself to reflect on all that had happened thus far.

* * *

_Ten minutes later_…

**The glossy photograph was crisp** and of good quality. Fox's eyes met with those of his father in the picture. Sunglasses were tucked neatly in a little boy's overalls, protruding from the chest pocket. The photograph depicted James holding his son, one of several pictures that Fox owned. The teenage boy looked over at the dresser, where a box sat next to a photograph of his mother. He reached for it, opened the box and saw the sunglasses – the same ones from the photograph.

Peppy's voice came from the far end, at the door. "Those are _his_ sunshades," said the rabbit reverently. "Whatever you _think_ you saw… it wasn't him. Those are the only sunglasses he _ever_ wore… and _you_ have them. So it couldn't have been him."

Fox blinked and put the photograph down, whirling around to face Peppy Hare. "So you _did_ see him?!" He closed the glasses case and moved towards the rabbit, eyes wide like those of a child. "I thought I was crazy to have seen him! It must be on the blackbox recorder, too!"

"No," said Peppy with a slow shake of his head. "Falco and Slippy didn't see him. Bill and Katt never even saw their communication's channel light up. I checked your blackbox as soon as we landed, then my own… there's a distortion in the recording. ROB says it's a data glitch. He also says it's highly unlikely to see two identical data glitches on both of our blackbox recorders and suggests that it could be a virus or possibly a flaw in both hard drives. He matched up their serial numbers – they're the same brand name of drive but… he says it's next to impossible to have both drives suffer from the same flaw, at the same place on the disc platters, at the same time in the recording session. I asked if it was interference from an outside source but he says it wasn't, else it would have effected Falco and Slippy's drives, too."

Fox turned away, glaring at his mother's dress in the corner. The display case's recessed lamp was off but, even in the dim lighting, he could almost see Fara standing in the gown; her image haunted the pilot. His heart wrenched. "He wasn't a ghost."

"If he wasn't, then why didn't anyone else see him? Why didn't he talk to us or land on the Great Fox? I know I don't talk about it very much, but I have a spiritual side. I believe he _was there_ today…" Peppy's eyes softened when Fox turned back to face him. He watched the teenager and lowered his voice, adding, "But he was there in _spirit_, I'm sure of it."

Fox's eyes shined with pent up emotion. Tears threatened to spill down his face. He tightened his jaw then looked back down at the glasses case in his palm. "This hasn't been an easy day. First, Falco's poster reminded me of Fara… then Pigma's taunting… and seeing him face to face through the canopy glass… then facing Andross' bioweapon… then seeing dad. This day has been _full_ of ghosts."

Peppy approached McCloud and wrapped his arms around the pilot. Fox closed his eyes, pushed his face into the elder man's shoulders and cried softly. It wasn't hurt or distress… it wasn't anguish or sadness… it was just letting out all those bottled emotions now that everything was finally over. No one spoke.

In a fatherly way, Peppy ran his paw up and down over Fox's back with a comforting touch. Neither spoke; the silence was only disrupted by occasional sounds of sniffles and muffled sobs. For a moment, time stood still. Finally, Peppy said, "As your godfather, I wish I knew what to say. As a pilot, I'm always full of advice and always know what to do next. As a husband who hasn't seen his wife in six weeks… I'm torn and want to retire from all of this… but then who would be there for Lylat if something were to come up again? So it's clear what I have to do with my life. But as your godfather, I feel… guilty because I don't what to say or do for you. Help me help you, Fox."

The soft sobs dissolved after another moment or two then Fox looked up and dried his eyes with the backside of his paw. "You've already done everything you could for me. If anyone should feel guilty, it should be me. Your two sons moved out and started their own family. Vivian and Lucy are on Fichina. And what did you do? You took me in and you raised me. You should have spent that time with them but… instead you devoted it to me. You've already done everything for me. _Everything_. You shouldn't feel guilty just because you have nothing to say to me right now."

Peppy kissed the boy's forehead between his brows. "I'm so proud of you. You've done so much for Lylat, for yourself… for me. I know I promised Vivian not to train my two sons how to fly. I promised her to keep them away from fighters. But… You really made me _proud_ by doing everything _I_ taught you."

Fox smiled a bit and stepped back. He pushed the glasses case into his pocket. "Do you regret not teaching your adult sons how to fly?"

"I sure as heck do."

McCloud shook his head with a chuckle. "Then teach Lucy. She's your _only daughter,_ (A/N: _As stated in SF Command – Peppy's 'Only Daughter', implying he must have a male heir, possibly plural_) but that doesn't mean she can't fly. We both know that girls are capable pilots. And the first thing I do when I get home…" He trailed off and offered a thin smile. "I'm going to look up Fara Phoenix's hand-picked team. Fay Spaniel and the other girl. The Lynx girl who stayed with me at Fara's house on the base…"

Peppy grinned. "This is the most I've seen you talk in six weeks, Fox. And… I used to know that Lynx girl's father, Michael. (_Chapter 4, Reflections of Peppy_) He was a good man and a great captain. The girl's name is _Miyu_."

"Miyu…" He lowered his gaze from the rabbit's eyes and pondered how they might fly. "Fara believed in them and called them her 'handpicked' team. I want them to join StarFox."

With a nod, Peppy put his arm around his godson's shoulders. "C'mon, you. Let's go and get cleaned up; there's food waiting in the galley. We'll be arriving at Corneria in the morning. You'll need a good night of rest before the ceremony."

"The…what?" Fox shied away, his eyes wide. "What ceremony?"

Peppy chuckled and folded his arms, heading for the door. "Pepper is officially awarding us with the Cornerian Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian award on the planet. I'm retired military but they're apparently giving me the Medal of Honor and Pepper wants me to come out of military retirement and return as a two-star General for, how did he word it… _winning the war_." Peppy grinned and shrugged. "I jokingly asked him if I could be a General on the _reserves_. That way I only have to work on the weekends."

Fox snorted with amusement. "You said that? Seriously?"

"He pretended to consider it, too. Then he said that the offer will be made publically and it won't expire."

The youthful vulpine pilot shook his head with a light chuckle, rubbing at his eyes again with the backside of a paw. "Wait a decade or two then take him up on his offer for the sake of having a cushy desk and an easy job. After all… now that Andross is gone, _what_ could _possibly_ go wrong?"

The rabbit shrugged. "Andross could make a come back?"

Fox nodded thoughtfully. "True. And I really have this gut feeling that we've not seen the last of him. I'll make the next time a little less personal." He looked back to Peppy and tilted his head. "Medal of Honor, huh? Does that mean you don't have to pay taxes anymore?"

"Not a single cent for the rest of my life," replied Hare with a daft grin. "Either way, Peppy is going to officially change my military rank to that of a two-star General. I'll make a General's retirement wage. This means I'll make sure Lucy gets the _best_ education available. If Vivian wants our daughter to teach, Lucy will be the best teacher in Lylat. But…" He pushed his paws into the pockets of his longcoat. "I think you're absolutely right. I'm going to be more of a hands-on father with her and, dog-gone-it, she's going to be a great pilot. That way, if she doesn't like teaching, at least she'll have some sort of _choice_ in her life."

For the first time in six weeks, Fox offered a genuine smile. "Little Lucy… a combat-trailed pilot. She's your only daughter… you sure you don't want to call up your boys?"

Peppy shook his head. "You gotta start when they're young, Fox. She's still young and now is my chance to be a truly involved parent. Don't worry, though… if Star Fox takes a job, I'll be there for it."

"But yeah, just… take as much time as you need to bounce back to Fichina and help that girl grow up strong. Plus you'll see Vivian more. And, if you want, move home with them. If you want to skip around Lylat with us for a weekend cruise, you know how to find us."

"I may take an extended leave to be with them from time to time. We'll see how things play out."

"Why not move them back to Corneria now that it's safe?"

He shrugged. "Fox, Vivian doesn't want to move Lucy anymore. Children need stability and a solid foundation. Moving them around a lot makes it hard to adapt. So… she's staying on Fichina until Lucy has graduated. Smaller communities there, quieter schools – the classrooms aren't overcrowded like some areas on Corneria… the domed cities are beautiful there and they're living in a snow-hare community… all rabbits."

Fox ran his fingers back through his headfur. "Thanks for the chitchat and the company. Oddly, I think that's what I needed, just now. I know I've been anti-social for almost two months but… I think I'm going to be okay. I appreciate you stopping by to help me get out of my shell. I can't wait to talk to Fay and Miyu when we get back. I really do want to expand the team."

"You think Star Fox will have enough work for six pilots?"

Fox nodded emphatically. "Something tells me Andross isn't dead. Plus, there will be lots of cleanup work, not to mention piracy and troublemakers who are without direction. Rich yachts will want escorts, bounties need hunting… you name it. Now that we'll be in the news again, Star Fox will be in demand."

"Fair enough. I'm going to go wash my face and get some chow. I'm glad you're feeling better." Peppy offered him another hug then left Fox's quarters and immediately called his wife from his personal communicator.

McCloud took a deep breath and left his personal den, promising himself he was going to keep his chin up and smile. He made a beeline for the recreation room and found Slippy and Falco there, clinking bottles together. They turned to Fox and held the glass bottles aloft. "There he is!" shouted Slippy.

Fox approached them and reached for one of the bottles then sniffed at it. "Non-alcoholic?"

Falco lifted his empty hand. "Didn't I promise you, back when we met (_first chapter_) that I was going to change? I'll drink but the day isn't over – who knows if there's flying left to be done, so… For now… root beer."

The pilot looked over at Slippy then back to Falco and smiled. "I'm impressed." He handed Slippy back his bottle then reached for a fresh one and snapped the metallic cap. "I'm proud of you guys. There were Cornerian pilots out there with twice our experience and they couldn't win this war. We did it, guys. Us. This team. And, you know what… I couldn't have done it alone. Maybe we should change the team's name. It's not just about me and, even though my father came up with the name, I'm willing to come up with something that better describes _all of us_."

Falco looked at Slippy and they both shrugged in unison, as if rehearsed. Then, in an equally amusing fashion, they both shook their heads at one another. Falco glanced back at Fox and said, "Nah. Team Star Fox. It has a nice ring to it and that's why other teams try to bite off of it."

Slippy nodded exuberantly. "Exactly! Star Wolf is the antithesis of Star Fox; it's obvious they bit off the name. They're not as original as your father. Besides! You're a celebrity. You're the lead singer of this rock band, Fox. Falco is the guitar player who does all the fancy solos and has a big ego, Peppy keeps it in the pocket on the bass and holds us all together… and I'm doing all the technical stuff in the background, as the drummer or something. That's all math anyways, right?"

Falco eyed him for a second then reached over and snatched Slippy's drink away, sniffing the contents. "Are you _sure_ yours ain't spiked?" He handed the bottle back and said, "Some bands are named after their guitar players. Some bands' drummers get so famous they marry _two_ super models. Then, later, they go solo and start their own project for a while just to say they did it. Ever think of that?"

Slippy rolled his eyes, chugged his sarsaparilla drink then offered a half shrug. "Hmm, well I'm thinking that a name like Star Falco… sounds _dumb_. That's just my two credits."

Fox and Falco looked at one another, both in a slight measure of shock. Lombardi laughed and patted Slippy's shoulder. "Okay, man. You stood up to me for once. I'm proud of you. Either way, I'm sure a name like _Star Falco_ could grow on someone like me after a while."

The frog offered a smirk, which melted into a grin. "Star _dummy_. Your team would suck b-b-because you wouldn't have an awesome mechanic."

"I'll drink to that." Fox chuckled and lifted his glass, clinking it against Slippy's then Falco's bottle. "Guys… I'm sorry I've been weird over the last… almost two months."

"What changed?" asked the avian, watching Fox take a drink.

McCloud shrugged. "You know… I realized I would have probably reacted the same way if Slippy or Peppy died. I've known them so long that I can't imagine life without them. Falco, I'm not saying I wouldn't be upset if something happened to you, but those two have been my whole life for…ages. Yet all four of us go out there over and over, ready to die at any time. Thing is, Fara was more than just a pilot and I sent her out there without thinking things through. I sent her out there alone. I won't make that mistake again. I'll still grieve for a while – it's going to be difficult for me… but she would have wanted me to smile and pat myself on the back for what we've just accomplished. Besides, I'm so proud of you guys that it has me in a really good mood right now. I'm prouder of your achievements than you can imagine. You guys really are the backbone of this team."

"Okay, okay, enough with the praise, _leader_!" Falco chuckled and picked up a remote control. A video monitor on the far wall came to life, showing a celebration on Corneria with a small box in the corner that replayed footage of an enormous explosion on Venom, taken from a neighboring planet's television satellite. Falco beamed, proud of his work. "See that big explosion they just replayed? That was _Leon Powalski_'s ship blowing up, heh-heh."

Seeing Falco look boisterous caused Fox and Slippy to break into soft laughter.

* * *

_Two weeks later_…

**Miyu's eyes widened then she turned to Fay** who appeared awestruck. The lynx lifted her paw and said, "Wow. That's quite an offer, umm. Can you boys give us ladies just a second to freshen up? We wouldn't want to make any sudden rash decisions – it's an honor to receive such an offer and we just need a moment. Surely you boys understand that this isn't the kind of decision that one should rush. That just wouldn't be very respectful of us. Be _right _back." She stood up, took Fay's wrist and the two girls left.

Fox slouched in the boothseat much to Peppy's surprise. "I know what's going through their mind," he murmured.

Hare gave the teenager a nudge below the table and Fox sat up straight, looking pensive. The rabbit folded his paws on the table. "Your gut tells you that they're going to deliberate? Why would they?"

"No, my instinct _stinks_ until I'm hopped up on adrenaline. The minute I leave the battlefield I start overanalyzing things. I just… They were friends of Fara and they _know_ that I got her killed two months ago. They're going to discuss this somewhere that's less public and ponder if it's safe to fly for me. They're probably weighing the pros and cons… Pro: Big name, lots of media attention and they'll fly fantastic ships. Con: Fox McCloud gets pilots killed because his line of work; even simple patrols become dangerous due to his lack of leadership experience and youth. Seriously, though… What if that's what they're talking about?"

"And what if it's not?" asked Peppy in a calm tone. "You don't know much about girls, do you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Hare reached over and patted Fox's knee. "Listen up, Junior – take some notes, okay? I have a daughter and a wife. Trust me when I tell you that girls are just like boys. They can do anything boys can do _while_ wearing high heels. Except maybe contact sports. Although, for some reason, the thought of women playing contact sports _in high heels_ would be amusing. It would give a new meaning when the coach tells his players to _break a leg_."

Fox found himself envisioning women running down a field, charging one another in high heels and stumbling from the stilettos. "I thought that's…"

Peppy was in a jovial mood today, having just spent a full week on Fichina with his family. "I know, Fox. Show business, yes, I know. I've heard people use that term in more places than _just_ show business. Anyway, if you take away the high heel equation, they're _quite_ capable of the contact sports, too."

"Then why don't they?"

"They're smart enough not to get involved in that mess." Peppy grinned. "Seriously, though. I doubt they're weighing out cons or anything to do with _you_. Just relax."

"If they're not pondering what a mistake it would be to accept my offer, then what _are_ they doing?"

The rabbit interlaced his fingers and began to twiddle his thumbs. "I'm sure they're having an extremely mature discussion. They're probably asking one another what sort of crucial questions they should have for us, and they're pondering how to negotiate pay and coming up with a list of things to ask us about the team. They might even be discussing healthcare and hygiene issues aboard Great Fox to ensure that they'll have a comfortable stay. Women are typically very thorough and business-like."

Fox rubbed the bottom of his chin while looking across the café in the direction Miyu and Fay went. "Thorough and business-like, huh? Fara was certainly a professional about things. I wonder what they're saying right now."

* * *

**Fay and Miyu clung to one another** in a tight hug, jumping up and down. A bystander woman left one of the bathroom stalls, looking at the two pilots as though they'd just lost their minds. She slowly backed out the lavatory, leaving Fay and Miyu alone. However, the canine and feline continued to squeal and titter while stomping their feet excitedly, uncaring towards the judgment of others.

The large red bow Fay often wore was bouncing wildly, her tail swaying happily. Miyu relinquished the hug then took her friend by the paws. They looked into one another's eyes then started giggling, squealing and jumping again. This time, their effeminate hopping was in an off-rhythm. "I can't believe this," Fay panted, unable to catch her breath.

"Us! Flying for Star Fox! Can you _believe it_? Flying with _Fox McCloud_!"

Bubbly Fay stomped her feet to burn off all the energy. "They're _celebrities! _Why would they even _think_ to ask two nobody-pilots like us?" She drew her paws to her chest, still dazed and awestruck by the whole situation.

Miyu moved to the sink and moistened her paws then rubbed her face. "Isn't it _obvious_? Fara _believed_ in us_. _And, incase you didn't know, Fox believed in Fara. So Fox wants to bring us aboard."

"Aw, to get closer to Fara? To honor her wishes, posthumously? That's so sweet of Fox. He really cared for Fara to help out her friends like this."

"Maybe, but I don't think that's exactly his reasoning." Lynx rubbed at her face then toyed with the golden hoop earring in one of her ears. "I think that he might have preconceived notions of our flying abilities. Fara believed in us but she was also going to train us. At some point, she probably told Fox that she was going to make her own team and fly with the two of us… and so he's interested in us because he probably _thinks_ we're as good as Fara in a cockpit."

"If he didn't do enough research to learn that you're a Military Police guard and I'm fresh out of the academy, then shame on him. Surely he knows we're not elite pilots. He probably knows that Fara had impeccable taste and was a good judge of character, so he's coming to help us out because we were Fara's only friends… and he loved her so much that he'd do anything for those that were close to her."

"Oh, come _on_," Miyu replied in a scolding tone. "Don't be so naïve. They only dated for like… what? Two months or something? If that? They weren't _married_, Fay." The lynx's tone changed. "That poor boy, though. After all the crap he's going through as a hero, he lost his girlfriend in this horrible war. Maybe he just wants some female company around – maybe that's why he's asking us to join."

"Why would he rush into another relationship so soon?" Fay looked puzzled.

Miyu turned back to her and shrugged. "They dated for, like, _maybe_ two months. I didn't pay close attention so it could have been longer or shorter, but for some reason two months sounds about right. Think about it, Fay… Fara died two months ago, God bless her… I miss her as much as you do. She and I… we were really tight, you know? But he's been alone as long as they dated, more or less." She frowned and tried to think of a different way to word what she intended to say. "It's different if you were with a woman for ten years, then she passes away… and you mourn her for the _next _ten years. _That_ is romantic. But two months, then two months? Be realistic… Fox probably wants companionship again. If not, then maybe he realized his team just needed a feminine touch. GOD, listen to me. I'm sorry – I'm not making any sense. I'm too excited to _think_." Her face suddenly took on a horrified expression. "What if we try out and he _hates_ us?"

Fay's eyes dimmed. "Why would he? He's eighteen. It's not like he's been flying for a decade or two. He's just naturally talented and he probably wants good hearted people to mold into future teammates."

"Maybe you're actually right," said Miyu. "I mean, shoot, Slippy Toad isn't an elite pilot. He was fresh out of the academy when he joined the Star Fox team, right? Fara said he had potential but he wasn't some mega-talented ace, either."

Both girls stared at one another in silence, pondering any other conceivable possibilities then they launched themselves into one another's arms again, jumping, screaming and stomping their feet. It lasted another moment before they relaxed. Miyu ran her fingers back through her headfur and cleared her throat. "Okay, we good?"

"I feel much calmer, now," Fay replied. "Unlike earlier."

"Yeah," the feline chuckled. "I thought I was going to explode right there at the table. _THAT_ would have made a really _bad_ first impression. Okay, I feel calmer, now, too." She took a deep breath then exhaled it, three times. "Okay, girl. We can do this. We're going to march right out there and tell those boys we accept their offer… on the _condition_ that they promise to finish the training that Fara was giving us. That way, we've covered ourselves if we look like slobs for tryouts."

"_Ohh_, that's good. That's a really clever way of saying that we're not at our full potential because Fara never finished training us."

"Well, she never _started_ but… there's no point in going _that_ far into detail, right?"

"Right."

Miyu nodded sagely and repeated the word. "Right! So…" She reached for Fay's paw and squeezed it. "God, I'm tingling." She took two more deep breaths then said, "We can't look like morons, out there. We've got to _exude confidence_ and _style_ and…"

"Grace!"

"Yeah, grace would be a good thing to have." She turned to Fay and quite suddenly frowned. "Is it bad of me that I find Fox attractive? I mean… I loved Fara like a sister and… I mean no disrespect by checking out her boyfriend but… it's been two months and, you know, he and I have things in common! Like our fondness for Fara, for example but… we're both in love with the skies and we both hated Andross. I'm just saying we have things in common."

"Oh good _grief_." Spaniel rolled her eyes. "You're not going to try sleeping with him, are you?"

Miyu held her paws up defensively. "Whoa, whoa, hold up – I'm not making him some sort of _mission_, Fay. I'm just saying… I mean… I even told Fara that I'd claw up his tree if he were available. We were stuck at her place because of a 'quarantine order' on base; I was told to stay there and guard them… so we had a slumber party and Fox slept in the living room on a sofa. And, naturally, she and I started talking about how cute he was."

Fay fidgeted. "I kissed him once."

"Really??" Miyu blinked incredulously and tilted her head as if trying to see how that would have worked. "Where? When?"

"Ages ago… on Papetoon. It was actually kind of awkward. We both just… leaned into it… then we both pulled away like we'd just kissed a sibling or something. I mean, it felt really wrong and, judging by the way he pulled back, I think he felt the same thing I did. He's just not for me." She reached for Miyu's paw and gave it a squeeze. "But if you think you guys might be able to hit it off… please, by all means, go for it. I think Fox is a great guy and he's charming and brave and… I agree – he's really cute. But I'm not interested in him. So long as you _don't_ rush into things, I say keeping an open mind about dating isn't so bad. If you guys do manage to date, you certainly have my blessing and support."

"You think it would be possible between us?"

Fay nodded then adjusted her bow. "I don't see why not. Yes, surely. I think it's possible that you would make a nice couple if you two take things at the right pace."

"You think so?" She glanced at her watch then her eyes widened. "Oh for the love of…" Miyu reached for Fay's wrist and gave a firm tug. "We've been in here for almost ten minutes. They're going to think we freaked out and ran away or something. C'mon. We can talk juicy gossip talk later."

"Oh _lord_ it wasn't juicy gossip talk. I'm not a gossip-type anyhow." Fay followed her friend back out of the bathroom and through the café. They approached the two pilots at the booth seat. Miyu slid in first, directly across from Fox, while Fay settled down across from Peppy, at the end seat.

Miyu Lynx offered a paw across the table and paused. Fox, confused, offered his up. She took his paw and shook it firmly. "We would be delighted to join you but only on _one_ condition. Now, I understand that we're in no position to make conditions because you're extending an invitation to us… but Fara never got around to giving us formal training for the Arwing. They're on backorder and I understand that they're rather sophisticated and it takes a little getting used to."

Peppy ribbed Fox with an elbow, beneath the table, as if to suggest that the boy had worried over nothing. The rabbit offered a paternal smile to the two girls. "We heard you two were fresh pilots – never been on a single sortie. However, we also flew with someone who put a great amount of faith in the two of you. Also, pilots who aren't set in their ways are the easiest to mold. Fox and I spent tireless hours trying to work with Falco. We spent time helping to _mold_ Slippy Toad. The thing about Falco and Slippy is that their personalities are vastly different. If all you're worried about is training… well we expected to train you both. But we also want you both to understand that you weren't selected based on piloting merit alone. Far from it."

"Really?" Fay leaned back against the cushion mounted to the booth seat. "Then why?"

Fox gave Miyu's paw a gentle squeeze then released it. "Well, uh… actually, we're a mercenary squadron. Commandos for hire, you know? And, Fay, you helped me on Papetoon, remember?"

Miyu smirked at her friend, remembering the bathroom conversation about the kiss they had shared. She glanced back at Fox.

McCloud continued to speak. "We broke into the Imperial base, used a zip-line and crashed a parked freighter into a building. That was pretty exciting stuff. We need people who won't be scared to do unique jobs. As a team, we would be limiting ourselves by not having females on the team. I mean, what if we were given a job that requires infiltrating a setting that is mostly women? I'm certainly not dressing up in drag just to complete a mission because, honestly, I don't think I could pull it off."

Miyu appeared tickled with the idea. "That would be really, really hysterical. Besides you have a famous face, now. Infiltration would require someone who isn't a celebrity. Fay and I have that fresh new look your team would need for jobs like that."

Fox nodded then turned to Miyu. "And Miss Lynx, Fara and I wouldn't have survived through the night without your help on the base. You were everywhere at once. I heard you shot down fighters with a Flak Cannon. It takes a sharp eye to hit a target moving at supercruise. You also rescued Fara Phoenix from thieves who were trying to steal Nova Bombs. You both have guts and you're both athletic, so I think we're making a good choice. But I'll be honest… I didn't even have to make the choice. Fara already did. She told me that you two were her only clear choice picks for teaming up. Thee, uh… the day of the incident, I asked Fara to join our team. She didn't say yes. Instead, she said she would think about it. I recently realized that she _might_ have been reluctant because she'd promised the two of you the chance to fly with her. Either way… I understand you two would have to make some serious personal changes to join Team Star Fox and I'll understand if you both need time to decide."

Miyu folded her paws prim and proper the way Peppy was sitting. "My two year contract is expiring. I can always sign up again, later, if I really wanted to… but being an enlisted MP isn't what I want to do. If I had it to do over again, I'd get an education and become an Officer. But I'm not really ready to do that yet, either. The only reason the base was attacked was because of some woman named Bowman – the fact that we were attacked was actually a real hoot. I know it's horrible, because people died, but… I really had a blast blowing up targets. It's what I was meant to do and it's a whole hell of a lot more fun than filling out police reports for the military. So… where do I sign up for _mercenary school_?"

Fox turned to Fay, as did Peppy. She fidgeted quietly for a moment, looked at the boys then back at Miyu. Her eyes returned to Fox. She spoke in a somewhat quieter voice, trying not to be too bouncy or bubbly in front of her new peers. With a slow, calm breath, she said, "It's funny how we've come full circle, Fox. You invited me to stick around back when we worked together on Papetoon. I was just… I had so much fun in those few days. You guys were so kind to me, gave me a place to stay and… what can I say, Fox? I was really impressed by your consideration and chivalrousness – you even let me stay in your _bed_."

Miyu quirked a brow, not knowing the whole story behind everything but she let Fay carry on with her monologue. The vanilla-furred spaniel continued to fidget. "I really enjoyed blowing things up. It was exciting when you rescued me from that freighter. I felt great when we were able to get that little kid back to his parents. I would be honored to fight alongside of an elite mercenary team, but there's just one thing… and this is a deal breaker…" Fay trailed off for effect then lifted her right paw and motioned to the hairpiece. "The bow stays. I'm not getting rid of it – if you want me around, you'll just have to live with it; that goes for the other boys on the team, as well. To be honest, I've been _teased_ for being girly and, well, frankly my dear boys, I don't give a damn." She offered them a dainty smile.

Peppy broke into soft laughter. "Oh my word, she'll fit right in, Fox. They both will."

McCloud chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Fara had impeccable taste. Ladies… when can you start?"

Miyu put an arm around Fay's shoulders. "Bubbles, here, can start right away because she's been staying with me and has nowhere else to go. But I still have to move my belongings, close out my contract with the military and return the house keys back to the base. I'll need at least week to finish up so as not to burn any bridges."

With a nod of understanding, Peppy smiled at the feline. "That would be best. I knew your father, Michael. He was a great starship captain. It's in your blood and, maybe, one day… you can return to Corneria and consider a job with the Navy instead of the Air Guard. If you're even a fraction of the person he was… you'll be an honorable and valuable team member. If you ever want to go back to the military, we'll help you get an education on your days off. Later down the road, we'll help you become an officer, like your father." He cut his eyes to Fay, directly across from him, and smiled at her. "Fay, you are just fantastic. You're a go-getter and you don't take flack from anyone. I can just see Falco giving you grief about your bow, and I can easily see you tell him, in the most polite way possible, to go and jump off of a cliff. I think the both of you will work out wonderfully." He paused briefly then added, "And thank you, Fay, for helping the boys to rescue me from the mock-up plan of being arrested by the Imperials, back on Papetoon. I'm alive because you worked well enough as a team to survive and accomplish things together." Peppy lifted a paw and waved a waiter over to the table. "So… how about lunch? Don't worry, girls, it's on us."

Everyone grinned.

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A/N: _Sorry for the long spiel at the beginning. That's it for now! Expect MORE of Reflections of REGRET and maybe another chapter of this story soon, now that I can dabble into things with my own imagination! Again, at some point, I'll start showing Krystal on Cerinia before things went up in smoke. That should be really neat – I just need the right inspiration (and to get to that part of the story) first. _

_Thanks for reading!!_

_-Me_


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: _In chapter 9 of Reflections Of Regret, Fox sees a photograph book depicting a short relationship with Fara Phoenix, Miyu Lynx and Krystal. This short-lived relationship isn't like Fox's other dating situations. Not every relationship has the same dynamics. While brief, Fox and Miyu mutually agree to carry on an adult friendship. I detail kissing, snuggling and the like but nothing that isn't already depicted in a PG-13 film where the characters are beneath the covers, like a James Bond film or some such. I mean, Halle Barry's character, Jinx, was getting pummeled in Die Another Day – and that was still only PG13. Then he goes and hops in the sack with Miranda Frost later on, lol. But hey, it's still PG13! Of course, Brosnan called those scenes, "dull" in an interview, LOL. So… yeah there's implied relationship situations in this chapter with implied canoodling. ON TO THE STORY!_

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Chapter -20-  
"_The Rise of Astropolis_"

_Shortly after Fox's nineteenth birthday…_

**The GreatFox casually cruised by Katina **in the shadow of the planet, with its running lights twinkling at each angled edge. Within, Fox and Falco stood side by side at the far end of a hallway. Fox glanced at his friend then cracked his knuckles. "You're going down, birdbrain."

"That has got to be the lamest insult I've ever heard." Falco lowered to one knee then the other. Adjacent to him, Fox followed suit. With both pilots on their knees, they waited.

Miyu Lynx and Fay Spaniel-Weldon approached from behind. Miyu slid her legs up over Fox's shoulders then carefully positioned herself to get comfortable. Fox wrapped his arms around her ankles, keeping them pinned to his chest then he stood up slowly. He had to admit, beneath Miyu's boyish and plain looking clothes, she was quite a toned woman. In comparison to the ever-effeminate Fara Phoenix, the lynx looked more like a tomboy. However, her personality was far more bubbly and flirty than Fara ever acted, blowing kisses and becoming boisterous when excited. She wasn't as professional as Fara, either. But… she was charming in her own way. His reverie ended with Miyu ruffling his headfur with her fingertips.

Falco remained still until Fay was sitting on his shoulders. He stood then they waited. Peppy Hare came up between them and turned around to face the quartet. "Okay, I'm glad you guys were open-minded enough to try this exercise. It's a test of trust, and trusting in your teammates builds character and strength as a group. In this exercise, the boys will race as fast as they can to the end of the hall. They turn at the corner then stop at the fire extinguisher mounted on the bulkhead ten feet before the flight deck doors. But, to spice things up… I want them to wear a blindfold or, girls, keep one paw over the runners' eyes. Ladies, you'll have to shout out verbal commands to keep the boys from hitting a wall, or each other. The girls will use their free paw to swat at each other offensively but control the runner defensively. Do yourselves a favor and watch out for light fixtures."

"What does Slippy get to do in all of this?" asked Falco.

Toad, behind the group, shrugged and cut between them. "I'm going to take pictures and make sure that no one cheats or gets hurt. I'll be down the hall; Peppy will be up at this end. I've got my camera just in case it's a photo finish but I'll probably snap a few of you guys looking like clowns during the race."

"Yeah, yeah." Falco eased to the right and gave Fox a shove but the vulpine retained his composure and footing. "This character better lose gracefully."

Miyu smirked. "Compared to you, _everyone_ loses gracefully."

"Yeah, whatever. I won't let you win because I don't want to hear you gloat ungracefully. Now let's do this thing." To his immediate dismay, Fay brought her left paw down over Falco's eyes. "Obviously we don't need blindfolds, grandpa. This is a 'trust building exercise' so just trust us to keep our eyes shut."

Miyu did the same with her right paw, covering Fox's sight. She lifted her left one and kept it in a defensive position so as to be ready for Fay. "I think the boys will be blind enough; Slippy will make sure they don't open their eyes."

Peppy shrugged. "Fair enough, then. Is everyone ready?"

Slippy took off down the hall and got into a good position to take pictures. "I am!"

Fox and Falco remained quiet, the girls announced they were ready and Peppy cleared his throat then moved behind the racers. "Again, girls, you need to watch for the light fixtures. If you hit your head, you will fall backwards and land on the deck… you'll be hurting for sure. This is as much of a test of perception in the middle of a busy battle as it is a test of trust. You have to guide the boys and trust in their running while you defend yourself against the other racer's shoves. Meanwhile, you guys will have to trust these girls to give you directions so that you don't veer off into a bulkhead or hit the wall straight on at one of the turns. Ready?"

No one spoke. Peppy licked his lips and shouted, "Set?!" …Silence. Fox and Falco hunched forward just a few inches. The rabbit folded his arms with an inward grin and, in a surprisingly subtle voice, simply said the word, "…Go."

They exploded down the hall, Fox and Falco running as hard as they could. Fay and Miyu clung to their runners, trying to push and slap at one another to make the other fall. Slippy snapped several photographs, trying to get one really good action shot. Falco and Fox rounded the first corner side-by-side while the girls tried to push and pull against one another. Miyu tried to pull on Fay's sleeve in an attempt to draw her towards the center of the hallway. There was a light fixture just aheaed.

Giggling, Fay pushed her left paw against Miyu's face while trying to reach for her best friend's arm to pull her. Both girls ducked the fixture gracefully. Meanwhile, Peppy shouted after them, "Remember, boys, the point of this exercise is NOT to drop the girls! Remember, girls, the point of this exercise is to make the other team lose! Trust in one another to make this happen! This is a trust-building game!"

Falco locked his arms tightly around Fay's ankles with broad strides to keep balance in his run. Fox, however, had a different strategy. He trusted that Miyu would keep her legs wrapped around his torso; he kept his arms outstretched to maintain balance while running blindly down the hallway.

"Wall on the right," shouted Miyu. "Three feet and closing, Fox!"

McCloud's fingertips brushed against Falco's elbow as he eased back to the left to stay away from the wall. He could hear Fay giving similar directions to Falco as the quartet hurried side by side. He felt Falco and Fay pushing back as if to purposefully guide him and Miyu into the right wall.

Miyu put her right paw out and pushed off the wall then used her left paw to grab at Fay's shirt. "Come on, Fox! We can make it! We're at the second turn!" She tightly locked her left leg across his chest the put her right foot out to help glance off the wall at the turn. Fox stumbled but maintained his footing. Falco bumped into Fox and overcompensated, inadvertently guided into the left wall just after the turn.

"Back to the right!" shouted Fay, wrestling with Miyu to get the lynx's paw off of her shirt. She felt Falco begin to fall, beneath her. She clung to him, expecting to be dropped. To her surprise, Falco managed to keep his footing at the expense of falling back in the race. As badly as he wanted to win he knew he couldn't be responsible for letting her get hurt. He put his winged hand out to brace himself on the wall. Meanwhile, Fox pulled ahead with Miyu.

Slippy snapped another picture, watching with amusement as Falco and Fay managed to catch back up with Fox and Miyu. Falco's shoe caught the backside of Fox's, causing it to come off of Fox's footpaw. The shoe was forgotten, causing Fox to stumble. Again, the racers were side by side. As Falco and Fay began to pull ahead, Miyu leaned forward at the expensive of Fox stumbling again, latching on to Fay's tail. The canine began to tip backwards and Falco leaned forward to keep from dropping her.

He slowed down to regain some measure of balance. Fox and Miyu pulled again just in time to pass over the finish line first. Miyu screamed at the top of her lungs, "WE WON!"

Fox opened his eyes and slowed to a stop as Falco and Fay passed over the finish line. Peppy came up the hallway with a relaxed gait and smiled slightly. "Actually, Falco and Fay have won."

"Wait, what?" Miyu blinked in surprise. "How?"

Slippy blinked as well. "Peppy, they clearly won and…"

Peppy shook his head and held his paws up. "I know they came in first but I was assigning points based on how the race went. Falco purposely slowed down several times in order to ensure Fay's safety and we _all_ know how competitive Falco can be. Even in the heat of the excitement, he put Fay's safety as a priority _twice_ because, judging by his body reaction, he was afraid of dropping her. Now, we all know that in the cockpit, Falco can be reckless and rush into danger head first… but when Fay's safety became his biggest priority and he had to 'fly by his instruments' in a measure of speaking… he throttled back in a sense."

"I felt like I choked back there," Lombardi admitted sourly. "We really won?"

Peppy came between the four pilots and reached one paw to Fay and one to Falco, shaking firmly. "Yes, because this was a trust building exercise and you went the extra mile to ensure that Fay was safe even though it cost you to come in second. A team that crosses the finish line with all their pilots _is_ the team that wins. Congratulations."

"Are you serious?" Miyu blinked again. "But Fox didn't stumble repeatedly, like Falco – he even lost his shoe because Falco stepped on the back of his foot but managed to win. Are you rewarding Falco for not being as graceful as Fox?"

Peppy opened his mouth to reply but Fox gestured to the rabbit. He lifted his paws up, beneath Miyu's arms and eased her from his shoulders. He placed her on the deck then put his paws on her shoulders. "Had Falco struggled harder to win and put winning as a priority over Fay's safety, he would have _lost_, even if he came in first. Peppy judged with a point based system. In reality we practically tied but because Falco went out of his way and broke character just to make sure he didn't drop Fay… well, that earned him bonus points and that's the point of this game. It's not just to build trust but to learn how to be a better teammate. Falco just proved to himself and to us that by making sure Fay was safe… he earned himself a 'win'. He's probably surprised and feeling very proud right now." They both looked over at Lombardi who shrugged.

"I don't know what the heck to think. I'm not gunna argue with winning. I'm surprised, though. I wasn't TRYING to put Fay's safety first – I just didn't think about it. I was on autopilot, you know?"

"That's even _better," _said Peppy. "If your first instinct was to protect Fay, even though you intended otherwise, then that proves you're going to react that way if you're ever in a position of leadership even if your intent is for a killscore. I'll be honest, after seeing you run just now… I trust you a little more on my wing than I did before. I'd say this race was a successful exercise."

Falco tried not to smile, wanting to look cool for the sake of image. But inside, he was proud of himself. "Yeah, whatever… that's, uh, that's cool pops."

Peppy cleared his throat then said, "Losing team cleans up the galley from breakfast. There's a lot of dishes to do." He gave a wave to Fox and Miyu. "You guys did very good. Since you did actually finish first, I won't make you clean up lunch or dinner – I'll take care of it when this evening comes that way you two can do whatever you like tonight."

Fox shrugged. "One chore given but two more taken away. Hey, I'm not complaining."

Miyu rubbed her head behind her left ear. "I guess everyone's a winner in their own way, sort of."

Slippy took another picture. "That's a good way of looking at things, Miyu." Falco knelt down, allowing Fay to dismount easily. Everyone shook one another's hand to show good sportsmanship.

* * *

**Miyu Lynx smelled of air freshener solution.** She was cooped up inside of a plexi-bubble at the back of the ship, slouched in the turret seat with her feet propped high against the upper section of the bubble. In her right paw she held a nail file wither her left fingers curled for a good filing angle. The feline snapped a bubble then moved the gum to her left cheek while sanding away at the tips of her index claw.

The door to the turret bubble opened and Fox offered her a smile. He glanced down, through the bottom of the turret, watching the enormous engine booster's glow. He lifted his head, glancing up at the tail fin. "You asked us to have a turret installed at the back of the ship as a precautionary measure. I see it's getting put to good use."

"Star gazing," she murmured, not looking up from her nails. "Occasionally, I glance up at a star every now and then. We should route Cornerian television stations to the diagnostics monitor."

"Ask Slippy to tinker with it." Fox made his way down the four stairs leading into the bubble then he sat down on the last one then he quirked a brow at her. "You must have good circulation to keep your feet up like that without the blood draining out of it."

"Look at your fur," she murmured.

Fox glanced down at his arm, noticing that it was standing just a little higher than normal. "Oh, I get it. The gravity stability controls aren't quite as effective in this little bubble. You can slouch at any angle out here, huh?"

She looked up from the file. "Fox, I have an issue with you and it really needs to be addressed." He stiffened up, turning all business. Miyu sighed and reached for his wrist. "No, calm down. The issue isn't pilot-to-leader. It's woman-to-man. We're technically still teenagers – I know, I know… I'm turning twenty-one really soon. But anyway, my point is… you're nineteen years old. You're a non-military war hero and from what we know, you've created a legacy. Most people spend their whole lives trying to do that for themselves but you've done it fresh out of school. Sure, there are rumors out there that Andross is alive. Okay, fine, whatever. But your legacy is in stone. You've got money, a roof over your head, you've even proven yourself to be a good provider to this little mercenary family; there's just one thing missing in your life."

McCloud nodded with a frown. "I did everything backwards. Dad had a family then made a name for himself. I did it in reverse order. Is that what you mean?"

Miyu smiled. "See that? You're not some dumb jock – it's good to see you have a little sensitivity." She paused and noted his expression then asked, "What? What's that look for? _I'm_ a girl, _I'm_ allowed to have 'sensitivity'."

"There's no doubt that you're a girl."

She chuckled. "What's that supposed to mean? Didn't you see the way I acted in that hallway race, earlier? That was too _fun_ to be a trust-building exercise. Peppy may have a lot of chores and tasks but that one was a hoot." She gave his forearm a gentle scritch of her fingertips. "Fox, I'm a complex girl. I wear earrings but I don't dress up in skirts. I blow kisses but I don't wear lipstick. I have long lashes but I refuse to wear mascara. I file my nails but I don't paint them. I use girly-scented shampoo but I won't grow my head-fur out. I like to slow dance but I don't like wearing high heel shoes. I love kids but at this point in my life, I don't want any."

He changed gears and tilted his head. "Well there's no use rushing into having kids at our age. I want'em one day, too, but not when I'm only nineteen, right?"

She smiled. "Exactly! There's no point in doing that stuff at our young age. We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves. Having kids means having responsibilities. While the peers of our generation are out there attending college, we went and rushed through the academy and took on a big responsibility but guess what? Star Fox kicked Andross' butt right off planet Venom. So the responsibilities have thinned out a little bit. It's time for the pilots of Star Fox to relax and have some fun."

"What do you propose?"

"That you stop thinking about your next patrol so you can lean down here and kiss me." Miyu looked back up at him again with a confident smile. "That's not an order, Fox. It's a suggestion. You're the leader – you give the orders. But as one of your pilots, it's my duty to give my leader _good suggestions_. And, if you ask me, that was a pretty good suggestion. You know why? Because that's what _I_ would do if I were the leader and you were the pilot. I'd lean down here and plant one right on the pilot and make his day. It'd be a good one, too. I'd make his tail fluff up and his ears perk, and his heart race and his…"

Fox suddenly lurched forward, placed his paws outward on the bubble to stabilize himself then leaned down and pushed his lips against hers firmly. It had been so long without Fara that his bottled emotions needed this. He kissed her so deeply that it took her breath away. Miyu dropped the nail file. It rattled around down at the bottom of the bubble. She reached for the collar of his shirt to keep him from pulling away so as to maintain the kiss.

Her muzzle parted, coaxing his to follow suit. Their tongues met with one another, swirling about in the passionate lip-lock. She secretly complimented herself. Her right paw stayed on his shirt, just beneath the red ascot. Her left paw went to the control panel, locking the door leading out to the ship. It was about time she found a way to get through to him.

Fox broke the kiss and began to nibble at her neck. So far as Miyu was concerned, her efforts of seducing him were a huge success. She murmured into his ear, playfully teasing him. "This is what I'm talking about," she said. "Letting your guard down, kicking back and enjoying yourself. Heaven knows I've thrown enough signs up. At least you understand me when I'm blunt."

"I'm not ready for a relationship," replied Fox against the fur of her neck.

"Fox, I'm not asking you to marry me. I'm asking why two grown adult friends can't have the maturity to handle some sort of personal benefits. After all," she continued while he made out with her collarbone. "You're a man, I'm a woman and we enjoy each other's company. I don't see anything wrong with that."

"Nothing wrong with that," he agreed against her neck. Miyu placed a paw against his head and guided him further down. She felt his teeth move to the top button of her shirt and giggled at the sensation of him biting the fabric. It popped open, impressing her. "Nice job, only several more to go."

"I'll get there," he mumbled over the fabric.

Miyu's ears lay back; she arched her body towards him. "Promises, promises."

He swiveled the chair to face him directly. Her legs dropped from the upper portion of the bubble, moving to either side of his hips. Their lips met again and he used his paws to attack the next button of her shirt. Their maws collided with each other several times with several kisses of varying length. Between one of them, he asked, "I've had no need for condoms – just in case things go that far. Do you have any?"

Their lips met several more times between quick breaths. Foggy condensation began to cloud the turret bubble. "Things _will_ go that far if we want them to go that far," she said with a hint of assurance between kisses. Her tongue flickered against his then their lips parted again, briefly. "I'm on birth control because it lessens the intensity and pain of my period cycle." They kissed again, then, "I know I don't have to ask this… but you're 'clean', right?"

He nodded emphatically. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks about those things," his lips continued to meet hers on and off. "At least we're being responsible about this, right?"

"Exactly," she said, lifting her head again. She shivered from feeling kisses on her neck once more. "Even when it's best to throw responsibility to the wind every once in a while, we're still being adult about this, if you ask me."

"No arguments here," he added, nibbling his way down her torso, using his paws to un-tuck her shirt that he just opened. A soft hum from the automatic window defroster unit worked diligently to begin clearing the bubble. Miyu reached back to the panel and thumbed the override key. The blowers went quiet once more and the bubble surface began to fog up again. Her paw returned to Fox, reaching to unclasp his belt buckle. She felt him open her zipper then she arched her back and lifted her rump off the chair so that he could liberate her legs from her pants.

Miyu beamed with satisfaction. Today was going to be a great afternoon. She'd always wanted to do something like this with Fox, ever since joining the team. Meanwhile, Fox felt as though he needed for all of this to happen because his masculine ego enjoyed it as much as his body. He'd been so pent up lately and releasing his frustration seemed to be a fantastic idea all of a sudden.

She reached beneath the seat and pulled on a lever below the chair. The backrest tilted backwards until the headrest brushed against the bubble to the left of the turret controls. Fox moved forward, over her, stepping out of the pants pooled around his ankles…

* * *

_Over an hour-and-a-half later…_

**"Explosive. It was everything I had hoped,**" she said with a dazzling grin. Miyu brought the backside of her paw to her maw, running her tongue back through the fur to smooth it. She brought her moistened paw up and used it to fix her headfur.

Fay rubbed her face softly. "Oh my heavens, I can't breathe. What if this one-night-stand ruins our chances to…?"

"Who the hell says it won't happen fifty more times?" Miyu grinned like a satisfied huntress. "I'm sure I rocked his world just as much as he rocked mine. Oh my goddess, Fay, you canine girls were holding out the goods. After he and I tied, we had to stay that way for a whole hour, then we…"

"Miyu, Miyu, Miyu, stop!" She waved her arms frantically then blushed brightly. "I'm a virgin and I'm staying that way until I find the man I love; it's a bit awkward to hear things I'm unfamiliar with. I respect that you and Fox fooled around this afternoon but I don't need details."

Lynx froze. She'd already knew Fay was still a virgin but for some reason she had forgotten it still applied to her best friend. The intern mercenary looked around pensively then placed her paws on Fay's shoulders. "Look, I'm sorry for the details but… Fay, I just spent the last ninety minutes locked in the new turret pod on the back of the GreatFox! I was in there with Fox McCloud!!"

Fay brought her paws up to Miyu's shoulders and the two jumped up and down for the sake of the feline's excitement. They giggled together and hugged one another. Last but not least, Miyu brought her paw up, expecting a high five. Fay offered her friend a dull glare. "Oh my goodness, Miyu, a HIGH FIVE?! Are you serious?!" she laughed, nervously eyeing the extended paw. "You're so proud of yourself, you… you _slut_!"

Miyu broke into a fit of giggles, "You're going to leave me hangin'?" she asked, keeping her paw up. "C'mon, virgin. Slap skin with the evil deviant just once."

Reluctantly, Fay reached up and high fived her friend. "You are _so bad_. Did you at least kiss him or was it all lust and no romance?"

"Oh _boy_ did I kiss him," she said with a flashy preen. She then chanted in a sing-song way, in third person perspective about herself. "Fox made Miyu climb a tree – from k-i-s-s-i-n-g. Fist comes lovin', then comes neckin'! Then came…"

"STOP RIGHT THERE," Fay cried with a look of panic. "I _don't_ want to know what came after _neckin'_, please, for the love of the Goddess, I don't think I could take another word!"

Miyu grinned impishly. "Good, because I couldn't think of a good rhyme anyhow."

Fay buried her face into her paws. "You're incorrigible." She peered through her fingers at Lynx then said, "And, _no_ Miyu, being incorrigible has nothing to do with 'courage.' It's _not_ a compliment."

"Sure it is! Besides, I'm in too good of a mood to be insulted. It's something I'll _never _forget! After all I still have the reminder dripping down my leg of Fox McCloud's…"

Fay abruptly placed her paws over her ears and walked away. "LA-LA-LA-LA-LA!"

Miyu cracked up. "C'mon, you know I'm proud of myself! You should be proud of me, too! Don't act jealous!"

"Jealous?!" Fay threw her paws up in the air. "Me?! Jealous?? Hardly! Did you forget already!? Fox and I kissed _long_ before you _or_ Fara Phoenix even knew his name! That's right! In his bedroom on Papetoon! And after that we _both_ decided that we weren't interested in one another! I threw that fishy back into the ocean, dear. So hah!"

"Oh you _bitch_!"

Fay gleamed brightly. "Yes, Miyu, I _am_ a female dog. Thank you for noticing, dear." She giggled softly then added, "No more details about Fox McCloud. I don't have your 'evil gene'. I don't think my innocent little virgin heart can take your locker room talk when it concerns my freaking _boss_."

"Okay, okay," Miyu snickered.

"I mean it," Fay murmured. "And you'd better not sleep with any of the other pilots or I'll…"

"Fay! _Just HIM_, that was _always_ the plan, remember? I'm _not_ easy. Okay, let me rephrase that. I'm easy around the guy I want… but I don't whore myself out; you know that."

"Alright, Miyu. I'm sorry – I didn't mean to go there. Did… did you at least use protection?"

"I'm on the pill," replied the feline with a bright grin. "Remember? '_Running down my leg_?' Did you forget that quickly?"

Fay pulled her paws back over her ears again, "Okay, right, I remember now; I was trying to block that out, THANK you." She lifted her eyes to Miyu and waited. After a moment, she slowly lowered her paws from her ears. "Are you done?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm done." She waited until Fay's guard was down then put her arm around the other girl's shoulder. They began walking. Together, they left Spaniel's personal quarters and headed towards the rec room.

"You know, doing this whole 'friends with benifits' thing isn't going to last long. Relationships require communication, trust, fidelity and friendship... but they also need love."

"You're killing me," said Miyu with a chuckle. "We couldn't keep our paws off one another. This is the start of a beautiful friendship if you ask me."

"I wish you luck with it, Miyu. I may not have a great deal of experience in dating but I stand by my theory that love is crucial."

"We've decided to try and keep our feelings out of this for the time being."

Spaniel nodded with a slight frown. "Fair enough... just... no more details. I really don't want to think about my boss in that way."

Once they arrived, Slippy, Falco, Peppy and Fox greeted them. Upon seeing Fox at the center of the room, Miyu saw Fay blush very slightly, probably because the poor canine imagined what he'd just done with her best friend recently. Miyu turned her head and whispered into Fay's large white-furred ear. "By the way, Fox is _huge_."

Fay shrieked, turned about and made a dash for the hallway. Everyone looked up with their eyes as wide as saucers. Miyu preened for them. "Don't mind ole' Bubbles. Just a little girly prank – she'll be fine. That'll teach her to beat me in a hallway race."

A grin tugged at the corners of Falco's beak. "You strike me as the jokester type. I like that."

Miyu peered out the door, watching Fay round the next corner. She turned back to her peers, curtsied then swept an arm across her midsection and bowed to each of them. "Yes, Falco, yes I am." She gestured to the foosball table and approached it. "Any takers?"

A casual grin tugged at Fox's muzzle. He moved across from her and cracked his knuckles. "I feel like I should be competitive against you all of a sudden. Let's play."

"Let's play," she repeated to her wing commander. "I'm looking forward to it." Miyu opened her muzzle to say something else but instead the red alert alarm sounded. She glared up at the flashing red panel on the wall, adding, "I hate you." She then swept her arm back towards the door as Slippy, Peppy and Falco left the room. "Shall we dance?"

"Only if you let me lead."

"I _just_ _let you_ lead for the last ninety minutes, Fox! Goodness." Since the room was now empty, she added, "I swear I'm _so_ getting on top next time."

Fox lit up brightly. "Next time, huh? I'll hold you to that." He opened the door for her then they sprinted up the hallway side by side as if racing to the hanger. As they ran, Fox asked, "Did you tell Fay?"

"Yeah and she blushed. Then she blushed again when she saw you, so I told her a little detail to see how she'd react. I'm proud of myself!" Indeed, Miyu looked like the cat that ate the canary but without the guilt. "Don't worry, our secret is safe."

"I have no reason to keep it secret unless you prefer it," Fox replied as they rounded a corner together.

"No need," she replied, adding, "I'm proud of myself. C'mon, Fox! First one in the air gets to pick the position next!"

Fox laughed, in full sprint adjacent to her. "Last one in the air is considered 'trustworthy' Miyu!" They both broke into laughter as the doors swished open to reveal the flight deck.

* * *

**"What in the hell is **_**that**_** thing?"** Miyu's voice, crystal clear over the radio, preceded Falco and Fay asking almost the same question. The lynx's audio returned to the channel. "Do you see it in the distance, Fox? We're out of Arwing scanning range, aren't we? I don't see it on the scope but that's no reason GreatFox shouldn't have something for us."

McCloud squinted through the canopy. In the distance he saw some sort of black and blue glowing object. His sharp eyes depicted details of what looked like buildings atop of a disc or otherwise enormous Frisbee. "That can't be good." He patched Great Fox into the channel. "ROB, are you seeing that thing?"

The monotone voice reply filled all six fighters. "It appears that object is the origin of the fighter swarm attacking the deep space satellite up ahead. The unknown entity appears to be in orbit over the central star, Lylat."

Fox gritted his teeth. "One guess as to who's in that damn thing. Thoughts?"

Slippy was the first to respond. "There's only one reason to go into orbit over the sun. Unlimited energy. And I can think of only one person who would want that much power to be satisfied."

Peppy sighed. "Those fighters are in range and defending that deep space satellite is in our best interest so that Corneria can use it to see that _thing_ but… without permission from John Pepper, we shouldn't outright attack that… base, or whatever it is."

"I can see it over the sun," Falco said. "If it's big enough that you can see it over the sun, then it's _really_ big. We don't have the firepower to fight it today, anyhow."

Miyu returned to the channel, shouting, "YEEHAW!" Her cry grabbed everyone's attention as she headed at full speed towards the satellite, surrounded by enemy fighters. They were relentlessly attacking the deep space probe from all angles. "C'mon, there's enough for everyone! It's a party over here, guys!"

Fox shook his head with a chuckle, pleased by her enthusiasm. "Break and attack, everyone! We can't let them destroy that satellite!"

"It may be too late," reported Fay, adding, "I see armored plates flying off the probe's hull; its shields have failed."

"C'mon, you guys!" Falco said. His Arwing banked to the left, chasing after an enemy fighter. He followed it into a tight loop and crowed with delight. "HEY! These guys actually _try_ unlike the Imperial fighters from before! This could be a lot of fun!" He continued to pull hard on the control stick, mashing down on the firing button as quickly as he could manage. "Almost got'cha…"

Slippy's voice returned to the channel. "Oh, no way, I'm tired of being chased by bad guys! NOT THIS TIME!" he shouted at the end.

"Hit your brakes!" Peppy exclaimed.

"You got it!" Slippy's retro-reverse rockets flashed up by the nose cone. His Arwing came to a sudden halt and the enemy clipped the backside of the Arwing then spiraled by. "Yow!" the frog shouted. Behind his voice was a tinny-sounding alarm, blaring over the radio from his cockpit computer. One of his stabilizers appeared bent. His ship's guns roared to life, chewing into the spiraling foe until it exploded. "YEAH! I got one!"

Peppy brought his ship around, quickly swatting an enemy inbound for Slippy from below. "Damage report, Slip!"

"I'm okay, I still have flap and aileron controls. My stabilizer wing is a little banged up but I haven't lost it." His ship boosted forward, resuming a forward motion then he tilted the nose towards the enemy that Peppy chased away and began pursuit. Meanwhile, the rabbit turned back about and chose a new target.

Fox gritted his teeth, chewing into a fighter until it exploded. "How's everyone doing? Send your damage report to my HUD so I can see what's going on, please." Seconds later, five wireframe ships displayed in front of his eyes. "Peppy, your shields are at eighty percent. What happened?"

"Debris from an exploding ship; nothing to worry about." Peppy's visual was on Fox's dash panel. "Don't think I've lost my edge. I'm loving this, although I can bet you Corneria isn't going to care very much to know that another threat is looming over Lylat. This is getting real old real fast so far as the tax-payer is concerned."

"I'm ready to make more money," cried Falco. "Rack up another kill for the scoreboard!"

"What in the world?" Slippy finished off another fighter but instead of celebrating, he said, "The Satellite is armed, guys, but it's shooting at _me_!"

Fay added, "And me! I thought those were for deep space exploration and such!" She pulled to the left but sustained damage from a plasma-round. Fay pulled a loop and chased after another enemy fighter. "We're being shot at by that thing, Fox! Is there a way to disable it without destroying it?"

"Why would it attack us?" asked Fox. "After all, the enemies are still engaging it!"

"Not anymore!" said Miyu. "They're focused on _us_, now, and the satellite is, too!" After a brief pause, she chimed in with, "Another one bites the dust!"

McCloud destroyed another fighter. The trashed remains raced by, causing his shields to flicker briefly from proximity. "Well, Miyu, so much for our responsibilities 'thinning out', huh? It looks like you jinxed all of Lylat. So much for interstellar peace!"

"Yeah, yeah, blame me. It's all my fault," she chuckled, turning about to chase another enemy.

"Dammit!" Falco shouted over the line. "That satellite is really starting to piss me off! What could make it want to attack _us_! And why wasn't it attacking these guys, earlier, when they were shooting at it!"

Slippy cheered. "That makes three! Hey guys, I just did a hat trick!" He lifted a hand from his throttle bar and tipped his ball cap. "Guys, we have a serious problem! Diagnostic scans show that the satellite is infected with a virus program! If this is Andross' doing, he's figured out how to infect stuff like this. Also, it was always armed but I'm pretty sure someone on Corneria has to activate the offensive capabilities on these things! But the virus has overridden that protocol and now it's shooting at us… yowch!" He pulled a loop then chased after another fighter. "That satellite means business! Should we destroy it?"

"Let's find a way to shut it down without destroying it," Fox replied. He took out another fighter then watched it spiral around, with plasma fires flashing from the cockpit, booster and intake vents. "Wow, look at that thing. I must have overloaded his…" He watched the fighter spin directly towards the satellite. "Wait, no you don't!" Fox began shooting at the fighter to push it off course but his efforts were futile. The enemy fighter streaked through the void with a bright trail of flashy sparkles behind it.

The ship careened into the satellite and blew apart. The plasma fires imploded inwards, creating a grand display of destruction. Falco zipped by. "What a light show, though!" then he altered his heading to chase down another enemy. "The satellite is still on my scope!"

As the debris cleared, Fox could see that the Cornerian probe was still intact, although it looked heavily damaged. However, the main guns continued to fire at the Arwings. Another round struck Fay causing her to grouse. "That blasted thing is getting on my nerves!" She shouted, directing her voice to the Satellite. "We're here to rescue you, ya oversized dumpster!"

"This doesn't look g-g-good!" Slippy exclaimed. "The satellite is so damaged that its own plasma gun is shaking it apart with every round! It's only a matter of time before it comes apart at the seams." His tone changed abruptly. "It's gunna blow!"

The satellite fired one last round, narrowing missing Peppy Hare, whose ship rolled wildly, reflecting the round away. It attempted to fire once more but a flash emanating from the turret caused what appeared to be an explosion. The burst of light was sucked back into the probe then it pushed itself apart with a flash, spewing debris in every direction.

"WHAT!" Falco cried. "THEY'RE RETREATING!"

"Let them withdraw," said Peppy, "Fox, there's only two fighters left and now we can record their flight path back to that thing out over the Lylat Star. That should be more than enough evidence for Pepper to allow _us_ to shut it down."

Fox smirked. "I guess it's time to go home and draw up a contract proposal for J.P.," he said in reference to General John Pepper. Fox cleared his throat then continued. "But first, Peppy, try and salvage as much of the wreckage as you can with Slippy's help. Everyone else return to the Great Fox on the double. I want you guys to park your fighters then clear the deck of all our gear, that way Slippy and Peppy have somewhere to put the remains of the satellite." He glanced back at the status indicators of his team, satisfied that all the wireframe images were 'green' across the board. "Slippy, please land first. I want Peppy to watch you just in case that stabilizer gives you any problems."

"You got it!" Slippy came around and formed up alongside of Peppy's fighter. Fox, Falco, Fay and Miyu headed back towards the dreadnought at a high rate of speed.

McCloud punched in the landing sequence initiation code and the bay doors began to open. "Ladies first. Park as far back as you can."

"I have a feeling this was just a precursor to a tremor," said Fay. "That gut feeling we dogs get _before_ a tremor that indicates an earthquake's eventual appearance."

"Yeah," Falco agreed. "Something tells me that this isn't even going to be taken seriously at first. Corneria likes to drag their butts sometimes. They like waiting until it's too late. I think we should head out there and 'investigate' that thing, then we can knock it right into the sun and say, "Oops, turns out Andross was on there! Sorry, we were only defending ourselves!"

Fox frowned. He wanted to agree with Falco but it wasn't feasible, either. "If it isn't Andross, Corneria will want to try political stuff first. Everyone just park your ships and we'll start clearing the rest of the deck."

"Everyone here knows Andross is on that thing," Falco retorted. "We should just cut the crap, finish the job and send Pepper a bill."

"If only it were that easy," said Miyu with a sigh. "He's a professional and things have to be arranged then he'll be given a green light to utilize the budget in order to dispatch us. Else anything we do won't result in a paycheck. What _you're _talking about requires a contract in advance. If we were the contracted security force of Lylat, then yes… we could destroy things at random and send them a bill… Peppy is right. We'll contact General Pepper with what info we can collect on those fighters, the satellite and that _thing_ over the Lylat Star. Then we'll wait until our fee has been approved."

Fox grinned as he settled his ship into a birth rack. Mechanical arms picked up the Arwing and rotated it so that the fighter faced the main hanger doors. Automated fuel lines dropped from the ceiling. "She's right on the money, Falco. No, uh, pun intended. Miyu, you're learning how this business works real fast." He shut down his ship's computer, opened the canopy and climbed up on the fuselage. Fox reached for the dangling fuel line and guided it to a hatch then attached it and rotated a metal coupling until it locked into place.

The other canopies lifted. Falco, Miyu and Fay got out of their fighters and began connecting the fuel lines to their ships. Fox called over to them. "When you three are done, help me down on the deck. I want to clear away all our gear, including that Blue Marine, down there. Let's get it against the back wall then move the Land Master tanks over on the port side."

* * *

_A few hours later…_

**Chirping filled the dark den.** Fox reached over Miyu to grab at the communicator headset on his nightstand. He heard her grunt. It caused him to wince apologetically. "Sorry, hon, I didn't mean to squish you." He closed his paw around the headset then settled back into a comfortable position on his bed and answered it. "Fox here."

General Pepper's voice was audible enough that Miyu could hear and identify the speaker on the other line. However, she couldn't hear well enough to understand what he was saying to Fox.

McCloud said, "I understand, sir. But you have to admit this whole situation stinks of monkey poo. What if Star Fox just heads out that way and hail's that _thing_ in a peaceful fashion? If they respond by opening fire, we'll ruin their day and…" Fox abruptly ceased speaking. After a moment he sighed. "Yes, sir. I know you're bound by protocol and laws and written rules. I know Star Fox doesn't represent Corneria and…" Again Fox grew quiet. He began to drum his fingers on the sheets. "Okay, sir. That's fine. I'll have Slippy and Peppy separate the debris they brought in. They should be able to pick out the fighter pieces and…" Another pause. "Okay, I'll send _all of it_. Do you want us to gather up the rest of the debris from the other fighters?"

Miyu sat up on an elbow and watched him in the dark. She perked her ears, listening to the rest of Fox's conversation. "Okay, General Pepper. I'll just use a wide-angle tractor beam, scoop it all up and send it in for analysis. I will have ROB send you an encoded text-based message with our ETA once he puts in all the variables. I'm guessing we should be to Corneria by zero-seven hundred hours. …You too, sir. And yes, I understand that you can't pay us for destroying those unmarked fighters. I'm not worried about that. My gut tells me that _Eli_ is back in town. If that's the case, we'll help in whatever way possible. You know my number." Another brief pause then Fox said, "See you in the morning, General." He withdrew the headset and put it on his lap with a sigh.

Miyu leaned in and nuzzled his face. "Eli?"

Fox chuckled softly. "It's _Andork's_ fake first name. Back when he worked on Corneria, years upon years ago, he went by Doctor Eli Andross. But during the court hearing, it was discovered that his name was really Andross Oikonny. I'm not sure where 'Eli' came from. A lot of people speculate it was either his father's name or it was his middle name or a bunch of other things. Andross has a lot of weird rumors orbiting his fat head. Someone once told me his brother died of the Venom plague, his sister-in-law, Caroline I think, also died from the same sickness. Another person said he used to go by Eli because it really is his name but _Oikonny_ was a name he made up. Well, then, why does his idiot nephew have that last name? No one knows _all_ the truths about that old man"

"Ironic that he used the Venom Plague as a way to attack his own daughter while she was on base. I remember that night. It sucked waking up to an attack on the base. I heard Fara's house burned to the ground."

Fox nodded in the dark. "We were still in it when that happened."

"That's what she told me. Something about a burning tree crashing through the roof and landing right on the bed." Miyu's tone changed. She lifted her head from Fox's cheek. "Do you miss her?"

"Actually, yeah. I put my mother's dress into storage because I can't even look at it anymore. It used to remind me of mom and I kept it on display but… after Fara died, I remembering her wearing it every time I looked at the damn thing. So… did _you_ ever 'fall in love' with someone before? Or lose anyone in the war?"

"I dated in high school but once I signed up for the Air Force I stayed solo for a while."

"No one at all?" Fox ran his fingers between her ears.

"You'll judge me."

"Hmm?"

Miyu sighed as if embarrassed. "For a very brief time, I dated another woman. It's one of the things that got me on the 'shitlist' with HQ. She was an officer and I was enlisted. That's forbidden. I didn't get in trouble but it caused my superiors to frown at me for a really long time. So… there. It's out in the open. I'm a freak."

Fox blinked. "So? Big deal. So long as you're happy and the couple treats one another very well then it's all good. Don't take this the wrong way…" Fox trailed off for a moment then reluctantly said, "When you first joined the team, I thought you were a tad bit on the tomboy-ish side. I just figured you didn't date guys. Actually, that's the reason I never flirted with you over this past year."

"Oh, no, you've got me all wrong," said Lynx with a shake of her head, "I've dated boys all through high school. I only had one girlfriend and that was a chance thing. Just because I decided to keep my hair short doesn't mean I'm a butch chick, a lesbo, a dude with an ear piercing, or whatever else people may think about me."

The vulpine pilot snorted in an attempt not to laugh. "A _dude_? Dudes don't have all the squishy parts you have. I don't care if you kissed a girl or if you liked it. We're friends first and foremost. Friends don't judge one another. How did we even get onto this topic anyway?"

"You asked if I ever loved anyone in the past because we were talking about how much you missed Fara."

McCloud froze. "Oh." He chuckled nervously then said, "That just proves it – you're definitely not a dude. Women actually pay attention to the conversations."

Miyu slid a paw beneath the blankets and ran her fingers through the fur of his hip then moved her paw down over his thigh. "What about _us_, Fox? Friends with benefits – you don't think I'm being some easy-sleezy whore do you? I've been interested in you for a while."

"I appreciate that. Miyu, like you said earlier this afternoon… we're two mature adult friends who are responsible enough to reciprocate the enjoyment of a 'benefit' relationship. I'm cool with this. I've never done this sort of thing before but I'm liking it thusfar."

She smiled a bit, relieved by his explanation. "I'm glad. I think we both needed this sort of situation. There are no expectations; it's low stress and maintenance free… And who has time to do things normally, right? Mercenaries don't settle down and have a job and a place to live on Corneria and while trying to court people – all that stuff is complicated to people like us, right?"

"Exactly," he agreed with a smile of his own. "This is drama free and far more relaxed." He felt her paw moving over his leg and grinned. "I like that it's casual and all but I kinda' hope we can keep this exclusive."

She smiled in the dark, her heart beginning to quicken. "Exclusive is fine, Fox. I'm a one-person girl. Nothing official, just… we're exclusive to one another. I'm down with that."

"Perfect." His paws moved beneath the blankets to touch her. "I trust you. It's nice to have someone of the opposite sex worth trusting. Someone to talk to or have a drink with or someone to kiss when you want to be kissed."

"I know exactly how you feel." Miyu leaned forward, brushing her lips against his. She reminded herself to refrain from catching feelings towards him. The only problem was that she felt awkward and even a little bit _jealous_ when she heard him say that he still missed and loved Fara. The feline pushed those thoughts away, knowing that it was still fresh because Fara was his first serious relationship and that she died during wartime. For now, those thoughts were quickly whisked away by the sensation of Fox suckling on her tongue tip.

* * *

A/N: _I know this might surprise some of you! But in SF2, Fox and Miyu were an item. She replaced Fara Phoenix when Nintendo decided not to buy Ben Itoh's character, Fara Phoenix. Fara was a nameless 'Lady' character in one of the old beta versions of SF2 and made a physical sprite-image appearance, too. But then Miyu pops up as Fox's new squeeze. Then that game is canned. SO! I've decided to put these two in a brief relationship. But I wanted to try something different for Fox instead of another romance destined to fail. _

_Fox McCloud is a hero with complicated and sordid emotions; he's not prince charming. He lost people he loved, and he thinks he's somehow responsible for Fara's alleged death. Fox is a really good guy with a really good heart and a really good soul but he's not above having a casual relationship, due to his conflicted spiritual and psychological situation. He's certainly not husband material yet, either. Then again, foxes are one of the only monogamous animals in nature. _

_Yay. The next campaign / series of battles begins in the next chapter. I'd know, I've already started writing it. Also, the latest chapter of REGRET (15) is already finished. I'll be posting it as soon as I can re-read through it for errors. _


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: _Several of you PMed me with, "Foxes are monogamous? How so?" Okay, time for a quick lesson! If you want to LEARN something, keep reading. Else, the chapter is down below…_

_OKAY SO ONTO THE LEARNING ABOUT 'TEH FOXES!' _

_Every time mating season comes around, they seek out the exact same mate from the year before. Other animals may share a den but they'll mate another if they happen to cross paths with a genetically superior potential mate. In other words, if two squirrels are sharing a den, but the female is out one day and finds a genetically superior male that could give her genetically superior children, she'll mate with that male in a heartbeat. Unlike, say, a lion pride, the male squirrel won't give a damn – he'd probably do the same thing if he happens across another female. But foxes! FOXES are naturally monogamist creatures. AND THERE IS YOUR FUN FACT FOR THE DAY! So no, I don't think I'm going to write Fox acting like a playboy, popular with women from being a hero. The fox will only find a different mate if their past mate isn't around anymore. If it's late in the mating season and they can't find the old mate, then yes they move on. So if the old mate was killed or captured and relocated to a new territory then, at some point, they'll give in to instincts. But fox watching has reported that 100 percent of the time, if a male and female fox are still in the same location as the year before, they hunt out the exact same mate as last year, EVERY SINGLE TIME. And now you know. Since McCloud knows Fara isn't coming back around he's allowing himself to fall into this situation with Miyu. See? I considered every angle before writing their short-lived relationship. And that's why they've decided to be 'exclusive' even though they're not officially 'dating'. _

_Oh and for those of you who didn't know, yes I was supposed to be in Florida this week. On vacation and whatnot… but my buddy, with whom I go every year, is really sick. Vacation is canceled. No big deal. It's better if he just relaxes. He's a little brother to me. Hang in there, John Settino.

* * *

_

Chapter -**21**-

"_Trouble Brewing_"

**The pilots surrounded their leader on the GreatFox bridge,** overlooking the brilliant blue glow of Lylat's central star. They were all on pins and needles, waiting for government permission to engage the enemy. Fox sighed in frustration. "I heard from Bill Grey today. He's alive, thank goodness. He went up against the slugs from Star Wolf but, low and behold, they've been flying as wing commanders of small imperial squadrons. That should make things easier – I'd much rather fly against just Wolf, or just Leon, or any of them in a one-on-one dogfight."

"How'd Bill do?" asked Fay, adding, "I've never met him but you talk of him quite fondly."

"He's a really good guy," Fox told her. "You'd like him. He's your type of guy, Fay."

"Mm, perhaps I'll have the pleasure of meeting him one day in the future."

Fox grinned a bit. "I'm sure it'll eventually happen. Anyhow, he's alive. He went up against Leon mano-y-mano and they scrapped until he was low on ordinance. Then he broke it off, lost Powalski in the asteroid belt and returned to base."

Miyu nodded in understanding. "It's not easy to fight without weapons. How does one run out of ammunition against one pilot?"

The avian of the group cut in. "Those Wolfens can take a beating. Nova bombs throw their ship around but it doesn't hurt'em. I think their shields are tuned to the frequency of the bomb's power output or …whatever." He glanced at Slippy as if expecting to be corrected but the frog nodded. Falco shrugged and continued. "Anyhow, charged shots don't work on their second generation model. At least I don't _think_ they work. You gotta' nickel-and-dime their shields with regular blaster fire then you've got to wear down their armor. But the Wolfen V-2 corners like a brick from all that armor and shielding. You just gotta get behind'em and stay there. Best place to engage 'em is in atmospheric conditions."

"Which isn't easy," Peppy chimed in, looking proud of the feathered fighter pilot. "So if any of you come up against Star Wolf, stay alert and call for backup. We work as a team, which will prove especially effective against their decision to fly solo during this campaign. Falco, one thing is for sure – you know your combat and you know your foes. Good job."

"Shucks, grampa. That's all I'm going to say. Shucks." Lombardi offered a snarky grin then stuffed his hands back into his silver aviator jacket. "When can we get the green light?"

Fox sniffed somewhat then said, "The government doesn't throw tax money our way unless they're running out of options. If you ask me, it's stupid. They throw tax money towards their pilots, who receive danger pay for being in combat situations. Then they get the crap kicked out of them and have to throw tax money at fixing the planet, rescuing people that are injured from attacks, evacuating people to the cave systems below the surface… then they throw tax money our way for solving their problems. They should just give us money up front and save themselves the trouble of having to pay for all that other stuff. You know, I think I'm going to put that in my next reply to General Pepper."

Peppy scoffed. "John would _love_ that, Fox. Funny thing is, your father had a similar frame of mind about things."

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious to me." McCloud sighed then shook his head. "This is ridiculous. I don't want to wait around in some stupid holding pattern." He eased his way through the group and approached the communications console.

"Don't be injudicious," Peppy said. "If you _must_ contact them, don't be hasty. Think about what you want to say first before you get in over your head."

"I appreciate the advice," Fox replied. "But going back to war is _stupid_. We just did this last year so we could stop this idiocy. We all know it's Andross out on that thing and we all know he's out for revenge and blah, blah, blah. Seriously, the war apparently never ended for Andross so that means StarFox is still involved as far as I'm concerned."

Peppy approached Fox, placing a one paw on his shoulder and the other on his forearm. "Stand down, young man. Andross sometimes gets you hot under the collar. Don't get yourself all hopped up on your past with him before calling Corneria. They hired us to do a job. We did the job. The job is over. Now it's time to start a new job with a new paycheck. We have a more impressive resume than before so we can ask for a better fee this time." He began poking Fox on the shoulder for each point made, saying, "New contract, new price, same great customer service and mission response time. That's us, right?"

Fox glanced back at his father's best friend. A smile spread across the teen's face. "You're good." He turned away from the terminal, giving Peppy a firm pat on the shoulder blade. "You're real good. You should have been a diplomat or something."

The middle-aged hare laughed, equally relieved that the boy wasn't about to make an impulsive mistake. "Fox, I wasn't good enough to talk my way out of capture on Venom. Getting my way out of an in-house squabble and talking people out of fighting is one thing… but diplomacy is different because the rules and arenas are different. When it comes to a battlefield, I talk better with my ship's guns than I do with my big mouth. Now… why don't we get some rest and go back to training exercises until Corneria is ready to call us. They know our number – no need to worry."

McCloud nodded then turned to Slippy and Falco. "Okay, you guys have a patrol to run. Fay and Miyu, you girls fly with Peppy in the morning. I have a shift before dinner time with Falco and everyone can relax tomorrow night."

Lombardi zipped up his jacket and nodded towards the door. Slippy understood the gesture and walked off the bridge. The avian walked by Miyu and gave her a pat on the upper arm. "Have fun with loverboy," he said, heading towards the door.

Peppy narrowed his gaze. "Falco, sexual harassment isn't going to be tolerated. We're professionals – there's no need to…!"

Fox lifted one paw to gesture Peppy into silence. Miyu placed one paw on Peppy's forearm, shaking her head with a shrug. Hare glanced first at Fox then at Lynx and sighed. "Fine. Apparently you didn't insult anyone with your snide little comment. Still, it was inappropriate."

"This isn't the military," Falco said, furrowing his brows. "Relax, man. We're family here. That's what we do… we ostracize each other and all that jazz. Look at that… _ostracize_. That was a pretty big word; I hope it didn't confuse anyone."

Fay rolled her eyes. "I'm just surprised you used it correctly. Good luck on your patrol." She waved and Falco simply walked off the bridge. "Don't mind him, Mister Peppy. Honestly, he's just being ornery." She shrugged a bit.

"_Most_ guys are juvenile," added Miyu. She turned back to Peppy and said, "But Falco is right – I have been 'having fun' with 'loverboy'. I hope that doesn't upset anyone."

Peppy shook his head. "You two go and have fun; go and be young. Falco is just being Falco. He doesn't like seeing Fox distracted by women because we're at war." He turned directly towards Fox and tilted his head. "He just doesn't get it. He's not quite mature enough to fathom the dynamics of a relationship just yet. Katt probably enjoyed dating him because it was low-standards and low expectations all the way around. Then she probably caught feelings, displayed affection and he pushed away or something. He and I talked about this last year – right before I went on vacation with Vivian."

A sly grin spread across Fox's muzzle. "He can be conflicted, jealous or disappointed all he wants. So long as he continues to fly his tail-feathers off every time he straps into that cockpit, I don't care what he says or thinks about me." He slipped a paw around Miyu's waist and pulled her close until their hips bumped together. "I'm conflicted, too. I need therapy after all the crap we saw last year. But guess what? I'm a mercenary. That doesn't come with health insurance so I refuse to spend all my hard-earned money on a psychologist or psychiatrist." He turned his head back towards Miyu until his nose brushed the side of her face. "You want to come back to my room and play 'therapist'?"

Miyu tried not to smile but she couldn't hide the expression of delight. "Is that anything like playing 'doctor', Fox?"

"I don't know. I've never role-played before. Let's go find out, huh?" He gave her a gentle tug and they left the bridge together.

"Oh boy." Peppy shook his head and rubbed his forehead. "I think I need a stiff drink. If things continue at this rate, things are going to get out of hand. I can see it now… everything from sitcoms based on our unprofessional nature all the way to fanfiction about how all the pilots can't keep their paws off of one another." He glanced at Fay and frowned. "You're the most mature one of them all."

She beamed proudly. "My parents raised me to have good standards."

"Yeah? That's good to hear. How are they?"

"My folks? They live on Papetoon and stay out of harm's way. They're not dead, they're not divorced, they're not doing drugs or practicing debauchery, they're not depressed or in denial over my decision to be a mercenary… they're just… _really_ _normal_." She smiled a bit and changed the topic. "I'm just glad Fox isn't giving his customers discounts anymore. The Mayor's son back on Papetoon… it was nice of him but… I told him he has his own family to provide for."

Peppy tilted his head. "Is that a fact… Ever since then, he's sought the best possible fee to make sure we get rich quickly. That was _your_ doing?"

Fay shrugged. "Maybe so… I told him that he's providing safety and a service for others at the expense of putting his own family into danger. I told him that sort of thing shouldn't be discounted. He has a family, here, that looks up to him and needs to know he's able to provide for them if they're going to be in the business of risking their own lives… I'm glad he listened."

"Me too," said Peppy with a smile. "Are you really related to General Pepper?"

She chuckled inwardly and looked away. "Maybe I am. Why would you think that?"

"I bet he's worried that you're here, flying with us."

"Or he's proud," she replied. "Let's keep that between us, please? I didn't want it to get out back when I was in the academy, either. The thought of people treating me a certain way… or having preconceived expectations just because of blood… Fox lives with it all day long every single day. I don't need to live in anyone's shadow or benefit from something I've not earned. John Pepper is exactly that – General John Pepper. Yes, there's blood between us, and yes he's a great guy. And that's how it'll stay. Okay?"

Peppy smiled and hugged her. "Just don't get yourself killed. He's our best customer and we don't want to upset him." The two chuckled then she left the bridge to go to bed. Peppy approached ROB and said, "Her relation to General Pepper stays confidential."

"I already know how they are related. She is his…"

"…Hush," said Hare. "No need for me to know. If she wants me to know, or if he wants to tell me… that's fine. Niece, granddaughter, third cousin – it doesn't matter right now." Peppy yawned then stretched. "Time for a scotch on the rocks before bed."

"I thought you have given that up?" (_Reflections of Peppy_)

"I did. But I could use a good night's sleep; a nice drink really helps. _That_ stays between us, too."

"I will not tell anyone. How is your family?"

Peppy reached into his pocket and withdrew his wallet. He showed ROB a photograph of himself with Vivian and Lucy. "These are my girls. My sons were unavailable for the photo shoot. But yeah… this is my wife and daughter."

"Vivian is your wife. You must be very proud. Who is the girl, here?"

Peppy moved his thumb from the corner of the photograph so as not to block part of Lucy's shoulder. "That's my daughter. That's Lucy Hare. She's starting to get up there in age; she's in elementary school. She's beautiful. One day she'll be a homecoming queen."

"I agree." ROB drew quiet as though studying the photograph.

Peppy stuffed it back into his wallet and said, "Listen, I know you're the property of Fox McCloud now… but those girls mean the world to me. Lucy is very special to me. I want you to make me a promise."

"I'll commit your command to my memory, Peppy. What is your order?"

"ROB, if ever you have to put yourself into danger to ensure Lucy remains safe, even if you have to fight a battle for her… I want you to make sure you make her a priority. Commit that to your memory banks or whatever you need to do… Lucy is the most important person ever so far as you're concerned. Protect her as if you, yourself, were in love with her. I mean it. If Slippy ever finishes that emotion chip, I expect you to fall in love with her. Take a bullet for her. Do whatever it takes to ensure that her every need is met. That's my lil' girl. She means the world to me. She's smart, she's beautiful and I want the best for her. I want her happy in life and I want her safe and I want her to be loved. You got it?"

"Show her love, protect her and do _anything_ for her. Understood." (_SF: C, anyone? -__**wink from author-**__)_

Peppy smiled, feeling somewhat relieved. "You make sure that stays part of your programming so long as you remain active, I mean it. I'm going to grow old and die one day. Fox is going to grow old and retire from this lifestyle one day. But you're a machine. You're not going anywhere. You might be replaced or retired but that doesn't mean you can't do what I've asked you. Make that your 'prime directive' or whatever it is that machines do when creating a list of priorities. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Good." He left the bridge without another word.

* * *

**Fox shifted in his sleep.** His thoughts were on Fara again, frustrated with his inability to save her from death. He awoke with a start, sitting up in bed. He was equally startled seeing Miyu sitting up as well. He rubbed his eyes and frowned. "I'm sorry if I woke you. I was having a bad dream."

"About Fara," said the lynx with a frown. She saw Fox's ears lower with unspoken shame in the dim illumination of the porthole across the room. Miyu was jealous at first but the look on his face made her heart ache. "Aw, come here." She opened her arms to him and he fell into her hug. After a moment of silence, she gave him a pat on the back and said, "I'm sorry she's gone, Fox. I think your problem is that you never really knew how to grieve so you were never able to properly mourn. Instead, you just bottled it like you bottle everything. Once you get it out, you'll be able to move on with your life and… that's probably a healthy thing."

He wept softly against her shoulder. "Maybe you really are being my therapist right now." It was a lame excuse for making a joke out of the conversation they'd had on the bridge a few hours ago. He sniffled softly and added, "Okay, I know… that was pretty lame."

"Honey, you just need to let it out. Go ahead and cry, Fox. I won't tell anyone. Once you let it out, you'll be able to move on. If you dwell on her forever and keep bottling your emotions, you're doing far more harm than good."

"It's been almost a year since she disappeared," he sobbed. "I let myself fall in love and I thought we were all invincible. And the worst part of it is that I sent her out on a patrol _alone_. My leadership ended her life, Miyu, and it's _my_ fault. I sent her out there to die."

Lynx tightened her arms around Fox and sighed softly. She pushed the jealousy away and cuddled him quietly. She knew he needed this. If she were to have any chance of starting a romance with him, he would need to heal his heart first. Her eyes became moist, remembering her friend in a fond light. "Fara was a great person. She was one hell of a fighter pilot. I know you rescued her once, when flying over Westtown. But it wasn't her time. If you weren't there to rescue her, she wouldn't have tried going into that sector alone. She only went there because she had you on her wing. She's smart enough to get out of a jam and she's smart enough to keep from engaging something she can't handle. Either way, she wouldn't have died that day in Westtown. Whatever happened to her last year… it was meant to be. That was her time, her fate. It's _not_ your fault. If you blame yourself, you're liable to go crazy or become callous. Mourn Fara as a lost loved one, don't sit there and blame yourself and demean her."

Fox looked up with confusion in his eyes. "W…what?"

"You heard me. If she died in combat against a thousand lizards, then respect her as a war hero. But saying you sent her to her death is disrespectful towards her and her memory. You asked her to fly a patrol; you didn't order her to fly to Venom alone with a bull's-eye painted on her fighter. You didn't _send her to her death_, Fox. You sent her on a patrol. Whatever happened on that patrol… no one knows. Blame Venom, blame the war, blame Andross… but don't blame yourself."

"I…" He sniffed softly then used a thumb to clear a cheek of tears. "I've not thought of things that way before."

"I know, hon. If you had, we wouldn't be having this conversation." She leaned forward and kissed his nose. "Fox, you're a great guy. You have a good heart, a good mind, and you fight for what's right. You're not like Wolf O'Donnell who fights for anyone who offers him more money. You are a good man. You are a great leader. Stop being so damned hard on yourself."

He ran his paws up over his head, pushing his ears back. They popped back up. "I'm not _that_ great."

Miyu poked him firmly in the nose causing him to recoil with confusion. She smiled. "As cute as it is to see you vulnerable, Fox, it doesn't suit you. So chin up and stop beating yourself up. First of all, you're a really great guy. If you were some slouch hobo with an enormous ego, I wouldn't be in your bed. Second of all, you're not to blame. Venom is your enemy, not Fox McCloud."

He nodded then rested his head on her shoulder and sighed. Again she spoke, this time whispering softly into his ear. "Cry until you feel better if that's what you need, okay? I think our friendship is close enough, now, that you can be yourself around me."

Fox nodded slightly and drew in a deep breath then exhaled it softly. Tears matted her fur down. He took a long moment to think about all of his memories with Fara. He wept softly, mourning her death and the loss of such a wonderful girlfriend. Miyu simply held him in silence, letting him get it out. She'd already come to terms with Fara's death quite some time ago. She cried months ago and now she was acting as his shoulder to give him the same benefit.

After a short while, Fox lifted his head and sighed through his teeth. "I'm sorry, Miyu. Thank you for being so understanding."

"Fox, we all have needs. I respect your need for sex and I respect your need for bereavement. And, maybe one day, I'll be around to respect your need for companionship. If that time ever comes… great, I'll be right here. Until that time, I'll respect your need for a reliable pilot on your wing."

"You're awesome, you know that?" Fox afforded her with a warm smile. "I feel lucky to have you around. I feel like crap for saying another woman's name in my sleep."

"Fox…" She trailed off and shook her head. "I understand, ya' big goober. You gave your heart to that girl and Venom messed everything up for you. But that was the Lylat War. It's over and you won. That was the best way to respect her memory… you avenged her. It's all in the past and now it's time to think about the present and your future. It's time to think about your needs and your wants and how to defeat Andross once and for all."

"You really know all the right words to say. Why do you believe in me so much?"

"Doesn't everyone? You defeated Imperial Venom. But that's not why I sleep with you." She saw his head tilt. Miyu grinned broadly. "You're a good looking guy who won't disrespect me, my body or my trust. That's what I want in a man. And the sex is good, too."

Fox looked somewhat bashful, glancing away. "Good, huh? Way to boost my ego."

"_Your_ ego? Are you kidding? You're Fox McCloud. You could have any girl you wanted but you've got _me_ in your bed. _I'm_ the one with an ego from this, Mister McCloud. Fox, I'm the one who jerks her fist down and hisses, '_yes!_' when you kissed me that first time the other day. Of course, I didn't do it until later on because I was preoccupied with your lips and your body at the time but… I was pretty damn proud of myself. And as long as you don't sleep with anyone else, this will continue as long as you'd like."

His smile brightened. "Wow. You make me feel like some sort of superstar. I don't care for a lot of media attention but this 'one-on-one attention' is fantastic." Fox reached for her paw and brought it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles and said, "Miyu, thanks again for being there for me." He took a deep breath then released it in a sigh of content. "I'm feeling a lot better right now. That dream sucked and even though I wake up to it being a reality… at least I'm waking up to someone who gives a damn… Just promise me you won't get killed like my mother or like Fara."

"I'm not going anywhere," Miyu retorted with a chuckle. "You're _stuck with me_, Fox my dear."

"I can handle that. I have no complaints." He felt Miyu's lips crash against his firmly. The kiss was nice but he just wasn't in the mood for intimacy right now. After a moment of relenting to her kiss, he gently broke it and whispered against her lips, "I'm just not in the mood right now. But I'm really glad for the company."

"Oh, well… I mean, sure. No problem." She began to withdraw, easing back down to her pillow. However, Fox moved with her and wrapped his arms around her. Sure, he may have rejected her physical advances, but at least he wasn't against spooning with her. She decided it wasn't so bad in the end and so she snuggled into his embrace and closed her eyes. "You ever think you'd be willing to date again in the future?"

"When I'm finally ready, I know exactly who I'd want to call my mate."

"Yeah?" Miyu grinned impishly in the dim room. "You see us as a compatible couple, huh?"

"Why not?" McCloud asked, pulling her backside firmly to his chest. "I really feel like you understand me. We're on the same page and have all the same interests… plus we can't keep our paws off of one another."

She secretly applauded herself. "You can't keep your paws off of me, huh?" murmured the lynx with a Cheshire grin. "You flirt. You make me feel like I have sex appeal – I like that."

"Are you kidding? You may dress and act like a little bit of a tomboy but you're a gorgeous woman, through and through. I'm lucky to have my arms around you right now."

Miyu wanted to kick and scream and pump her fist in the air victoriously but she bottled the excitement for now. "Okay, slow down fuzzy-butt. You're going to give me a big head if you don't stop saying all that nonsense. I'm just an average girl who happens to be in good physical shape. I'm nothing special."

"You're hot," he replied. "You're attractive and I really have enjoyed the last few days. You're special to me. You're the best friend a man could ask for. Maybe one day when this stupid war is over we can take things up a notch."

"I'd like that." She reached back and rubbed his head gently with her fingers. "And I expect you to feel better in the morning. I want to be nibbled and nuzzled and caressed and satisfied again. You're pretty good, I'm not going to lie."

Fox felt himself growing flush. He took a few deep breaths to relax himself then said, "I just need a good night sleep then we'll have some more fun."

"I'm counting on you," she cooed playfully.

"I won't let you down," he said, feeling somewhat eager by the fact that she actually wanted him in such a way. Feeling wanted and needed was, in fact, quite arousing. "Maybe we don't have to wait until morning," he murmured, beginning to kiss the back of her neck.

Miyu grinned in delight, hiding her face into the pillow. "Whenever you're ready is fine with me. Heck, maybe it will help us sleep a little better."

"I think you might have a point, there," said the vulpine pilot against her flesh and fur, beginning to nibble down over her shoulder.

* * *

"**Slippy just hold on, I'm coming!**" Falco grumbled with a tone of frustration. "Just wait – I'm almost there!"

"Talk to me, keep my mind off of this!" Slippy said, wrestling with the flight yoke. He glanced up through the cockpit at the mechanical tentacles engulfing his fighter.

"Talk? About what?"

"Something! Anything to keep my mind off of being eaten by this stupid bioweapon thing! I need to keep my mind from th-th-thinking about being digested!"

Lombardi blasted through another trio of fighters on his way towards Slippy's location. "Okay, uh, I don't think things are going to work out between Fox and Miyu. That 'yiffbuddy' crap never lasts. And if it does, it usually ends in common-law marriage. So even if you think you've won, you've still lost and ya' wind up married. Screw that noise." He eased his entire body to the starboard side, going into a clockwise barrel roll. Blaster rounds bounced off of his fighter's shields instead of absorbing the impact. He came out of the spin, destroying another fighter. He was now within engagement range of Slippy's enemy. "Damn, dude, this is just like when you got snagged by that _thing_ back on Titania, only it's not as bad."

"I sure HOPE it's not as bad!"

"It's not, this thing is half bionic and fully unshielded. I've got this." Falco began to pull to the port, coming around behind the monstrosity. "Boy, he sure is big, though. This thing is _ugly_. Why do you always attract all the _ugly_ bad guys, Slippy? Is there something about you I should know? You have some sort of bad luck charm, froggie?"

"Just get me out of here!" Toad shouted. "I still can't get a signal through to GreatFox."

"Relax, I'll have you out of that thing in a minute. Stop flipping out."

Slippy's instrument panel lit up and a warning alarm blared in his ear. "Falco, the computer says I've reached the stress limit." Behind his voice, the computer chirped again, announcing, '_Caution! Hull stress test parameters have been exceeded. Reduce hull stress immediately. Hull breach imminent.'_ Slippy groaned, adding, "You heard the woman!"

"I've never listened to women in my life. That 'bitching betty' is no different. Ignore'er."

Toad blinked. "I seem to remember hearing the computer warning voice called by that name before… but she's really starting to worry me so _please_ hurry."

"Will you hush!" Falco grinded his beak together while mashing his thumbs down on the controls. He opened fire again, striking multiple places on the biomechanical enemy. One of the metal tentacles snapped back, taking a swipe at the avian's fighter. Falco rolled out of the way and fired at the base, where the arm went into the monster's body. "Am I hurting this thing?"

Slippy began punching in commands on a keypad. He opened a network interface with Falco's Arwing then uploaded data to his HUD. Seconds later, a shield bar formed on the left side of Falco's heads up display.

"Sweet, man, I see this boss's health bar."

"Falco, this isn't a video game!"

"Shut up, you know what I mean. And he's the area boss of this sector, and that's a health bar so far as I'm concerned so stop whining. This thing is at fifty percent."

"If you get me out of here, I can help you!"

"No way, this thing is _mine_," Falco boasted.

"If you destroy it while I'm in here… it might explode along _with_ me! GET…ME…OUT OF HERE! Please, Falco!"

"Okay, okay!" Lombardi groaned and hit the boost. He dodged another arm swipe and came about, shooting at the arms, careful not to hit Slippy's fuselage. "You better not destroy this thing… he's all mine. Get ready; one of the thingies coiled around your ship is starting to spark. Put your finger on that boost button and be ready to punch the throttle when I give you the word."

"You got it." Slippy's trembling left thumb moved into place over the side of the throttle bar. "I'm ready. I've never been more ready in my life."

Quite suddenly the machine released Slippy and wrapped six mechanical arms around Falco's ship, clamping down tightly and rendering him immobile. His engine's stalled, choked out from something blocking his booster. "WHAT THE HELL!? ARE you SERIOUS?!"

"I'm free!" Slippy hit the accelerator and got some distance. He saw that Falco's ship wasn't moving on his sensor scope then he came about. "Omigod!" he cried, trying not to hyperventilate. "Falco, it's got you!"

"Gee! You think? Boy, you're a real fast one, bud! Nothing gets by YOU!" He reached for his ejection handle and gave a stern pull but the computer exclaimed that his canopy was blocked and that ejection was not possible. Lombardi let out an exasperated groan. "Slippy! Go back and get Fox. I need some competent help before this thing can squeeze its way through my shields. You're already done for and your ride is all mashed up; I'll be able to hold out for a while. Just hurry."

"NO! We're too far from GreatFox right now! That thing will either crush you or take you back to Andross' new base! That's not an option!"

"Blah, blah, blah. Either do something useful or go and get Fox."

The frustrated frog began charging a shot and hit the boost. His Arwing lurched forward at a high rate of speed. A digitized reticule appeared in his heads up display, locking on one of the many joints of the creature. He gritted his teeth, leaning forward in his seat anxiously.

"Don't you blast me," warned Falco. "I'm having enough trouble with this guy, Slippy! Don't you go blowing me up, damn it!"

Slippy didn't speak. He heard the proximity alarm and saw one of the arms move towards his ship. Now was his chance to shine. Now was his opportunity to show Falco that he wasn't such a screw up. Slippy could practically hear Peppy telling him to follow his instincts, trust his heart, to believe in himself and all those things he typically said to Fox. He started to veer evasively, trying to get really close.

The tentacle struck Slippy's ship. One of the stabilizers shattered. The amphibian released his thumb on the stick. A glowing green charged shot lanced from the front of the fighter and struck the spot where the enormous metal arm went into the fleshy body. The entire tentacle ripped free of the torso, splashing slimy coagulated goo across the side of Falco's fighter and part of his canopy. The liquid hardened to ice in mere seconds.

The amphibian's ship began to roll slightly on its own from having just sustained damage. The Arwing's other stabilizer sliced through the creature's forehead, filleting it like a fish under a scalpel. The leading edge of the remaining stabilizer cut all the way back along its spine. The ship bucked wildly as the remaining wing cracked. Alarms wailed and bleated angrily all around him. In a rear-view monitor on his dash, he saw entrails blown out of the creature and into space. Slippy's face contorted into a moue of disgust. "Ewww!"

Falco's ship was released. He blasted from the arms. His own ship's stabilizers nicked against the mechanical grippers but he managed to pull free without ripping the wings from his fighter. His main booster fired to life then roared at full throttle. He jolted forward and came about to fire at the dying creature. It flailed about as another arm was separated from its body. "What a mess!" The mechanical portion of the creature exploded, causing the fleshy section of the body to burst, splattering outwards.

Slippy pulled away and Falco pulled a hard turn to avoid being covered in the gooey guts of the bioweapon's remains. The two fighters moved into position, side-by-side. Once in formation, Toad activated his autopilot feature and said, "I lost one wing and ruined the other. I know I'm the one who is going to fix it… but I still think they'll be mad."

"Oh whatever!" Falco snorted. "You'd better not tell them you rescued me."

"I…" Slippy froze, coming to realize that he did, in fact, rescue Falco Lombardi. The frog glanced out his cockpit at the avian who peered back at him. "Your secret is safe with me. Just tell them _not_ to look at the blackbox recorder."

"Aw damn." The falcon groaned then said, "Let's just not say anything about this ever again. Ever."

"Okay, okay, relax. But you owe me. Something… a favor or something. I've not figured it out yet, but it will be something awesome."

Lombardi sighed. "There _are_ other ways to silence you, froggie."

"That goes both ways."

Falco's dismal expression illuminated somewhat. "Okay, _that_ was a pretty good comeback for you. One favor, that's it. Nothing stupid, like me cooking dinner, because that would be a punishment to everyone aboard. Think of something that isn't lame."

"You walk up to Peppy and tell him that I killed more enemy fighters than you. Tell'em I was in the zone and that I surprised you. Tell him I shocked you and that I was amazing. How's that?"

Falco fidgeted for a moment then sighed. "Okay, I'll tell Peppy that you totally kicked ass, okay? God… gloating for Slippy Toad. You better not bring this up a million times, later on… else they're going to find out, real quick, that you were simply lucky and took that thing out by accident after being trapped inside of it for almost the entire mission."

"Deal." Slippy beamed at the thought of being bragged about by Falco to their peers. "I _did_ do a pretty good job, though, didn't I?"

A moment of silence followed. Falco sighed again then nodded. "Yeah, you did good, Slip. Just try not getting captured again, please?"

"You g-g-got it. Let's go home and get some sleep."

Falco nodded in reply to the idea. "That sounds like it's a good idea. Leave a note for Fox and Peppy so they know what happened to your fighter's stabilizers. Now… I'll race you to Great Fox!" He punched his throttle.

Slippy groaned and hit his boost button on the side of the throttle bar. He knew Falco would win because his ship wasn't damaged but the frog also knew it would be best to try keeping up lest he wind up out here by himself.

* * *

_The next morning…_

"**That's a lot of activity,**" Peppy mused. Everyone was gathered around the conference room table, including Slippy and Falco. The avian wore sweat pants and a wifebeater. His talons clicked on the deck plates, tapping in impatience. Hare continued. "Bio weapons, like the one that Slippy and Falco went up against last night, creates no doubt in my mind what we're up against. It's a clear indication of Andross' return. It obviously wasn't easy to fight. We have a trashed fighter because of it but ROB and the automated repair droids are working on it as we speak. This isn't going to get any better, folks. Everyone watch this…"

Peppy turned on the Cornerian News Network. An image filled the space above the conference table. A reporter showed up above the group and words near their torso read, "One hour ago," letting the pilots know that this wasn't live footage.

The reporter waved a paw, motioning to something over their shoulder and said, "The satellite, used for defense against incoming asteroids and comets, has turned its weapons on a nearby Starliner, decimating the ship. Reports have come in from StarLight, the Fichina-based company known best as Phoenix Enterprise's competitor. StarLight claims that this ship was on its way to be decommissioned for scrap and that the only casualties sustained were those of the crew. We at CNN have just learned there is no control over the satellite. We're being told it's a virus implanted by Imperial sympathizers. However, Katina and Cornerian spokesmen say it's too early to jump to conclusions in regards to the object in orbit over Lylat's central star. Lydia, back to you." The image changed to the anchorwoman for the Cornerian News Network, who quickly shifted her news topic to the weather. Peppy clicked a button on a remote and the holographic image faded.

"They've been replying that all morning," said the rabbit. "I've talked to my wife on Fichina. She says that schools have been closed until further notice. She said people have been raiding the grocery and surplus stores. Everyone is holing up in his or her basements. She also said the National Guard has taken over the police to keep public excitement under control. Vivian isn't the dramatic type so what she's saying is absolute fact. Apparently Fichina is upset because the climate control center was stolen and taken to Titania. Now it's snowing on the desert planet. Meanwhile, the equator of Fichina has had massive flooding problems because a virus caused the planet to turn into an oven. If Titania is allowed to receive snowfall like this, it'll flood when it melts. We can't override the problem on Fichina without the equipment that was taken to Titania so we've got to go there first and recover this climate control system."

"That sounds easy enough."

Peppy glared at Falco. "Easy, huh? We'll have to find the control unit, find the computers running the datacenter that controls the weather then use GreatFox to tractor in twenty-five satellites and take them offline. Then we'll have to return the stolen datacenter and control unit to Fichina and, after installing it, we'll have to use it to regain control of the remaining twenty-five satellites still in orbit over Fichina and take them offline before this flooding situation gets out of control. Millions are already getting evacuated to higher ground. Thankfully, Vivian and Lucy live in a domed city up in the mountains, far from the equator. But the _whole planet_ is spooked. They're having record hot days right now."

Fox stood up and stretched. "Okay, people… we're not getting paid for this job but we can't let this crap go, either. Patrols are canceled; we're headed to Titania. Falco and Slippy, go get some rest. That's an order. Everyone else, go get some breakfast. We'll have another briefing when we're in range of Titania."

Miyu glanced up at him. She was wearing pajama pants and one of Fox's shirts. The shirt was a bit large on her with the collar clinging to the right side of her neck and stopping at her left bicep. The lynx's left shoulder was uncovered. She nibbled at her right thumbnail for a moment then said, "Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the vulpine population initially originate from Titania?"

"That's a misnomer," said Peppy.

Fox shook his head. "No, fennecs came from that planet. Also, there were several colonies of red, gray and swift foxes from the upper and lower hemisphere. Arctic foxes lived at the caps of Titania, on Fichina and near the caps of Fortuna. My family has roots on Corneria, Papetoon and my mother's side had people from Katina if you go back more than five generations. However, Titania once had bad blood with Venom back before Corneria was civilized. For some reason, reptiles still hold grudges against foxes, although Titania is just an endless desert, now." He clapped his paws together. "Okay, team! Everyone go do your thing. We'll be back up here at sixteen hundred hours. This mission should be the initiation test for our rookie members."

Fay stood up quickly with a bright smile. "No more Mercenary Internship?"

Falco snorted. "You still have to get me soda when I ask you."

With a roll of his eyes, Fox folded his arms and said, "Not after we finish our job on Titania, Fay. After that, you can tell him to stuff it, or you can pour that soda right on his head with my permission." Fox cut his gaze to Falco. "Are you _seriously_ sending our recruits to fetch you a drink? How does that make them a better mercenary?"

"It instills a sense of following orders," replied the avian with a shrug.

Slippy threw his hands up and exclaimed, "Like YOU ever do?!"

"This isn't about me," said Lombardi with a smirk. "I've already earned my place on this team."

Peppy narrowed his eyes and approached the avian with a smirk. "Go to sleep, Falco. Be back here at fifteen hundred hours. I'll need you to mop the conference room before our briefing at sixteen hundred hours. And don't you dare delegate it to Fay or Miyu. I'll see you then."

Again, Falco snorted. He stood up and walked out of the room, his talons clicking noisily on the deck with every step. The door swished shut behind him. Fox snickered, glancing at Fay and Miyu. "He deserves that for disrespecting two fine pilots. Okay, everyone. Go get some food and relax. Slippy, go back to bed buddy. We'll see you at four." McCloud left the room and Miyu followed.

* * *

A/N: _ OKAY! Another chapter is finished! I know it's short and only had mild action in it with the Arwing patrol in the middle but the next chapter will be FULL of stuff. A ground mission AND an Arwing mission! As Fox so eloquently said to Tricky's mother near the beginning of SF Adventures, "It's going to be dangerous! There could be flyin', fightin'… death!!" lol. Anyhow, after this mission, Miyu and Fay will be full-fledged team members. Then the team will go after Astropolis. At some point, Miyu and Fay will leave the team rather suddenly. After that, the team will go up against Captain Shears and come face to face with Andross just like in the second comic. After that, Falco will leave. Four years later, Fox will wind up on Dinosaur Planet, later to be named Sauria. During that part of the story, I'll start bringing Krystal into the scenes. I'll start with her living on Cerinia when Andross arrives, nearly on his deathbed. !!yAy!! Okay, see you soon! Also, if you didn't already know, I just posted a new chapter for Reflections of Regret... about two hours ago. _


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: _Sorry it's taken so long! As you'll notice, I changed the name to "Reflections of Star Fox" because it felt appropriate since I'm going to follow more characters than just Fox McCloud. Having re-read through this story, I realize that Fox and Miyu's relationship is a little heavy; some readers may not enjoy the way I've depicted it. Drama, emotion and raw energy felt like a natural way to portray things at the time I wrote it. Sorry if it didn't meet everyone's approval. It's time to get into the second act, here. The end of Andross' war against Lylat and what happens after he leaves the system. _

_As you'll remember, Krystal is about 18 in SF: Adventures. Fox is 26. I think that's about right. At any rate, Cornerian and Cerinian revolutions take different amounts of time. So she's between 9 and 10 at this point in the story, but in Cornerian Revolutions, she's closer to 12 or 13. Plus she's VERY mature for her age. I'll visit Krystal more often later on when she's of age, but she'll be sixteen in Cerinian revolutions when she leaves the planet, which should make her an adult by her world's standards when it's time for her to go. OKAY! Boring beginning and it's not going to be an exciting chapter until I get into the Captain Shears chronicles, lol.

* * *

_

_X  
_

Chapter -22-  
"_Coming of Age_"

**Krystal lowered to both knees, palms together.** Her mother placed a tiara upon her brow and a handmaiden used a hairbrush to fix her hair so that the back of the tiara was hidden within the locks of blue. Soft applause came from all sides to the young princess. Her eyes lifted then lowered, spying all the maids and butlers momentarily.

Marcus approached the trio, dismissed the handmaiden with a gesture and lowered to one knee in front of his daughter. "Sweetheart, are you nervous? You're a bit hard to read right now."

"No, daddy."

"The coronation is a very serious matter." Their words were _un_spoken; merely telepathic thoughts passed between them. He smiled softly and kissed her forehead just beneath the glistening red ruby. "My little one, you'll be ten Cerinian revolutions in age tomorrow. I'm proud of you. You've excelled in everything you've strived for – you're above your siblings, even though you're the youngest."

Her eyes lifted and she wordlessly asked, "Is it true the Oracle is rumored to be retiring from her prophecies? I've heard she wishes to stop by the end of the year and I was hoping to learn of my future on my sixteenth birthday. I know it's selfish of me but…" Her thoughts turned to the orange-furred man from her dreams.

Marcus tilted his head, sensing the memory pattern imprinted in her mind. "Who is this man? He has unfamiliar markings."

"I don't know, daddy. I've sensed his presence for the last two revolutions, now. I even made direct contact with him briefly. Is it not custom to create a link to one's soul mate at an early age?"

"It is. I've never seen someone with an orange and white fur pattern before. Not even our ancestral cousins of Kew look like that man. Is he the reason you want to speak to the Oracle in six revolutions?"

"I want to know more about him. He's… intriguing, daddy. He has the warmest aura I've ever sensed. But he has the heart of a warrior." Krystal bit her lower lip. "I hate that I have to wait six years to find out but… the thought of _never_ finding out… I can't fathom it."

"If the Oracle _is_ retiring before your sixteenth birthday, I'll see what I can do about…"

She looked up at her father with a frown. "I would _never_ be so selfish to ask for something that _others_ my age are _not_ privileged to receive."

Her father offered a warm smile at her selfless words. "You'll make a fine member of the senate when you become of age, Krystal. I'm quite curious as to why you've chosen a secondary schooling path of 'exploration', though. You're a natural healer at heart, although… you, too, have the heart of a warrior in my opinion."

Krystal's mother put a paw on her husband's shoulder, looking down at him on one knee. "Love, she wishes to explore because her curious nature. She wishes to know more about the universe. She wishes to help and heal and open her arms to embrace more than just Cerinia. Can't you see our little girl has big plans for her future?" She paused, grinned a bit, then said, "Her _warrior_ _heart_ must come from _my side_ of the family. You're quite the pacifist and come from a long line of pacifists."

Marcus grinned in return and stood up. He put an arm around his wife and nodded. "Perhaps she can be the one to resolve tensions between Cerinia and Kew. She will better empathize their ways and be able to bridge the gap between our worlds. After all, our marriage united the greater portion of Cerinia. Perhaps her legacy will be to unite two worlds whose people are said to have been born from the same ancestry."

She frowned somewhat. "You put so much stock in that fairytale, Marcus."

He turned to his wife and shook his head. "Kurisutaru, DNA doesn't lie. We're somehow related to them, even if it _is_ thousands of generations removed. The northern continent has always believed deeply in our celestial ancestors." He turned back to his youthful daughter. "Perhaps one day your love of exploration will answer the questions of millions on Cerinia. Strive for greatness and you will achieve greatness. And it all starts tomorrow at your coronation. Are you ready?"

"I am, daddy." Krystal stood up then eased the tiara from her head and handed it to her mother. "After today I'll wear this until I'm crowed queen. It feels heavy. Does it take getting used to?"

Marcus raised his voice up from the telepathic silence and _spoke_ the word, "Yes." Then he added, "How is your speaking?"

Krystal cleared her throat and enunciated the words, "I speak the best that I am able." She paused then told him, "I know it's our primary method of communication with the people of Argo Kandor, as well as the two different nations of Planet Kew. Daddy, why can't the people of Argo Kandor speak telepathically?"

He briefly pondered the question then told her, "No one is sure why they didn't adapt that ability. The climate on the other side of Cerinia is far different and it may have caused them to evolve differently; we also have very different customs from the Cerinians on the other side of our world. That does _not_ mean they're to be treated as anything less than equals. I know your mother's nation looks down upon them but… there is no reason to disrespect their culture, beliefs and their way of life. They're part of Cerinia, same as us."

Krystal's mother looked at her husband then at her daughter. She frowned a bit then spoke aloud along with them. "He's right; the people of my nation treat Argo Kandor poorly. They see people who are unable to use telepathy as inferior. Not everyone can be as open minded and tolerant as your father. After all, hunters from Kew do not speak telepathically yet they're quite capable of exterminating us if they were to become so inclined. So it's quite obvious we should respect them and continue to remain peaceful with them."

Marcus put a paw on his wife's hip, gesturing for her not to talk of such things in front of their daughter just yet. He continued to speak aloud in a melodic masculine voice. "They have a reason for their actions. They don't hunt down entire races, after all. They claim to only hunt down errant telepathic species that use their abilities to create havoc and chaos. They're at war with two other galactic systems right now and it appears that they may cease their hostilities soon. They've left Cerinia alone because we have never sought hostilities with other worlds. We're rather immature in the galactic community since we rarely leave our world. If we continue to mind our own business, Kew will not harm us."

"I do not fear them," said Krystal. "I pity their hunters. It must be difficult to take on the responsibility of deciding who lives and who dies. It must be hard to make that choice day in and day out. But what of the Oracle? She's not from Cerinia."

Marcus nodded. "You're quite correct – she crash landed on Cerinia two hundred thirty-seven years before you were born, Krystal. But she's apart of Cerinia now, so far as we're concerned. This is her home, now. Her prophecies have united entire nations. Her ability to see the future has helped us to become aware of ourselves in a way we'd never thought possible several generations ago. She is the one who made us aware of extra terrestrial life."

"He's right, Krystal. Without the Oracle, things would be very different for our people. She's as much apart as Cerinia as the rest of us – she's been here, living on this planet longer than any of us have been alive. She has a special connection to the living galaxy. It's almost beyond belief that she would, after all this time, finally retire. All we can do is submit a request for your sixteenth birthday just like everyone else does. The worst that can happen is that our request is denied – perhaps it won't be, though. A lot can happen in six revolutions."

"Have faith in the creator," said Marcus. He grinned at his wife then back at his daughter, adding, "Even if your mother's people are agnostic. It's healthy to believe in something greater than yourself. Whether it's an ideal, a purpose, a truth or a one-true All Powerful Being… having a sense of self and a sense of faith will help guide your heart in difficult decisions." He cleared his throat then spoke in wordless telepathy once more, telling them, "Krystal, run along and play – relax before your coronation."

Her mother smirked slightly. "In my culture, Marcus, a princess doesn't 'play' like an ordinary little girl. She studies and practices to become a better leader. Just because our nations have united and we've chosen to come under one planetary senate, now, doesn't mean I have to approve of her playing with dolls and toy spaceships in her room."

Krystal grinned at her mother. "I take playtime to the garden. You know I like to explore and the more I learn about the world on my own, the more I feel cultured in my _own_ way. I promise I won't spend _too much_ time away from my studies, mother. I will make you _both_ proud one day soon. I just know it."

Marcus grinned at his wife. "She speaks with more enthusiasm than either of us, Kuri. I think letting her be in touch with her imagination will help her to be a better leader. A father wants his children to succeed him the way he succeeds his parents. I'm sure she'll do great things when she's our age."

"I don't doubt it, love." She watched her daughter bound off, headed for the garden. "But toys, Marcus? I've never seen a little girl so fascinated with toy spaceships and such. I somewhat understand the dolls… but the toy ships? I just… don't get it."

He grinned at his wife. "Don't think so hard into things – we didn't understand everything our parents did and I'm sure they didn't understand everything we did as children. Telepathy only brings us so close to one another as a people… but we're still unique individuals who have our own sense of self."

She grinned in return. "Some days I can only shake my head at our arranged marriage… but sometimes, like now, I'm actually pleased to call you my husband. Yes, she's allowed to have her identity – just because I don't understand her fascination with such toys doesn't mean I won't allow her to play with them. And yes, love, you make a good point."

* * *

X

_Several weeks later…_

**Fox grit his teeth**. The prototype Beta-Release Arwing-LM model, brand new off the assembly line, lowered to the deck plates of the fortress. Its gravity diffusing modules separated from the body, becoming feet and the front of the ship shifted down, so that the Arwing resembled a crude tank. It ambled to the left.

"You've gotten better, Star Fox." Andross' booming voice came over the all-channel radio. "You've finally come this far," he murmured with a smirk. Fox began attacking the strange contraption in the center of the room with plasma cannons. He moved around the large metallic dome-like structure, blasting it on all sides until the core appeared.

He opened fire on it and the core jettisoned itself down into an escape hatch tube in the deck. The tank lifted from the ground – the front-end hinges shifted back into place and regained its Arwing shape. Fox punched the boosters in pursuit. "Pepper's DOGS! Time for my revenge!" McCloud ignored his nemesis' words and followed the cube down into the depths of Astropolis' power core. Andross shouted, "You're ALWAYS getting in my way!" Then, in a chiding way, added, "Don't worry, I'll go easy," and abruptly unleashed a barrage of blaster fire.

Fox smirked, musing to himself, "What is this guy's obsession with _faces_?" He offered a volley of plasma rounds, teeth gritted together. The swirling colors of the background melted together like a bad acid trip. Fox felt like he'd gone through these motions before. He hammered away at the face then finished off the core. It felt anti-climatic. He hit the boost, fired off a Nova Bomb and everything began to dissolve like a bad dream.

He hurried towards the exit – the cockpit polarized to help with the blinding glare of Lylat Star below as he exited Astropolis. Falco Lombardi's words were a sour-noted greeting. "No big deal," he said. On another channel, Miyu shouted gleefully then, in a more personal tone towards Fox, added, "Toughie, eh?" followed by happy cries from the rest of the team. It all felt surreal, like some sort of unfinished game from Fox's childhood. As he headed for GreatFox, McCloud opened a channel to ROB and said, "Thank the Goddess, the Arwing-LM didn't crap out. It was having trouble shifting back to the tank format at one point – a stuck joint… I really think we should donate these prototype machines to a museum. I'm ready to go back to the _real_ Arwing model."

"Fox," Miyu chimed into the channel, "You _just_ sent Andross packing, right into the sun! C'mon, you've gotta be happy right? All you can think about is how you hate these prototype machines?"

"Yeah, they suck. I'm glad we had them because Andross' base was laid out so damn weird but… I don't trust my life to them. I wasn't scared of Andross, I was scared that a hinge would break and this thing would come apart at the joints if he hit me the right way. I'm just not sold on a transforming Arwing."

"Oh come on, Fox. Lighten up – you don't have to use it anymore; you just _defeated Andross_, babe! Stop being such a sourpuss!"

"Okay, okay," he said with a chuckle. "You're right, I'm glad we made it and I'm glad no one is hurt. It just… for some reason, it felt too easy. It wasn't… you know, I didn't have that feeling of satisfaction when the core exploded. It was another face; it was another bio weapon. I want to fight that man face-to-face in person. I'm sorry. I want to wring his neck and glare into his eyes. This just feels like an empty victory."

"Well," Peppy came over the channel as his ship set down on the flight deck, "That whole damn corebase went into the sun. That just about wraps up whatever is left of 'The Empire'."

Fox frowned. "I wonder if that idiot man was on board… something tells me he didn't go down with the ship."

"Who cares," said Slippy. "If he comes back, we'll get paid for busting his chops again. And again. And again. If anything, that crazy guy will make us rich and he'll eventually grow old and kick the bucket if we don't bring the bucket to him. Stop worrying. He's back to square one if not burning up on the surface of Lylat. No help, no soldiers, no planet, no corebase… nothing. Andross is done for. If he does have some sort of last hurrah, he won't have any Imperial help."

"I hope you're right," Fox murmured. "I just can't shake the feeling that he got away Scott-free. And if that's the case… I wonder where he could be…?"

* * *

X

**Andross paced the small vessel** hands behind his back. "Devon, what you're asking _is_ possible, but why would you ask such?"

"My dear friend, as you may be aware, we, the hunters and watchers of Kew are, in fact, related to the people of Cerinia. But our ancestry is the only thing we have in common."

"Yes, you believe both your races came from Lylat's first habited world. Lylat Interplanetary Exploratory Council has voted to name the planet 'Sauria' but it won't go into effect until someone can chart somewhere on the surface and 'lay claim' to it, so to speak. It's not a priority at this time because of the war effort and the cleanup of other planets. For now, it will remain by its designation name. I've already taken to calling it 'Sauria' (A/N: _Mentioned in Chapter 5_) …it has a nice, shall we say… ring to it. Pardon my chattiness, Devon, it's been a _very_ long trip from Lylat to this world."

"It appears your vessel doesn't have the range to make it to Kew and that's why I ask you of this favor. You're in range of Cerinia. Can you do as I asked and make it appear as an accident? How long will it take?"

Andross frowned thoughtfully, rubbing his chin for a moment. He stopped his pacing to think and do mental math. "Three to five Cornerian years. I'll help you return to Lylat before it happens."

"You're asking me to help them harvest the power of their sun; what if they become…?"

Devon cut off the ex-dictator with a chuckle over the communication channel. "My good Doctor… they're not militaristic. They won't use the power against us. They'll use it to fix their infrastructure. They'll be none-the-wiser that you're harvesting the power of the sun in a way that will cause the star's core to collapse."

"Tell me, Devon… why wipe out this race? They're your people… cousins, many times removed, if you will."

The Kew hunter smirked over the screen. "Andross, my friend… our watchers are not interested in attacking peaceful planets but it's only a matter of time before telepathic races like Cerinians come to realize their potential and become a threat to other worlds. This race is still naïve. So much the better. My people, the hunters of Kew, have devoted themselves to the cleansing of telepathic people. Call it… an ethnic cleansing – our people evolved differently from our environment; they have the ability to read your thoughts and take away your free will, your unique thoughts and identity… and they would crush anyone who opposed them. That's why we've developed a method to shield their abilities. This race is naïve; they will simply assume you're an alien whose thought patterns they cannot sense… then you will help them to repair their ailing infrastructure by harvesting the unlimited power of their sun… but do it in a way that will destroy the star in a mere few years."

Andross Oikonny nodded. "And you'll help me return to Lylat so I can destroy my foes?"

"I will personally take you to your 'Sauria' and _teach you_ the technology invented by our ancestors and you can use that technology to destroy Corneria if you wish. I believe you mentioned an interest in the machine that the Krazoa used to terraform the other planets of Lylat… why do you seek that power?"

"Two reasons… one, I would re-terraform Corneria. Secondly, I would use it to finish work on a device to repair Venom but I would build it to terraform the world _without_ destroying the inhabitants. Restoring Venom will be my legacy. Destroying Corneria is my _destiny_. I will achieve both things in my life time; this I have vowed to myself and to my followers."

"Very well. The power of the Krazoa shall be your reward if you destroy Cerinia for me." Devon smiled. "I'm a man of my word. I _will_ deliver you to the Krazoa homeworld."

"Thank you again, Devon, for all you've done to help me. How will I be able to communicate with the people of Cerinia?"

Devon smirked. "They're telepathic. Most of the people there are able to speak to one another in their minds. The quiet will give you time to relax; they'll be able to speak your language… however, with the telepathy-blocking device I've given you, they won't be able to know your natural language. So… you'll need a translator in your ear at all times. I've put a handful of them in your vessel. It's up to YOU to upload your spoken language into the memory module. How are your injuries?"

Andross smirked. "I will survive. My pride is hurt worse than my body, although I need to clone my eyes and surgically replace them at some point. For now, I'm using bionic replacements." Andross saw things in red and yellow, similar to thermal but, because of his bionic replacement, he could see more than before. It even aided him in his pursuit of scientific endeavors. He picked up one of the earpieces on a storage shelf. "This? Mm, it seems primitive by design. I'll try and perfect it."

"Whatever you need. I should go." Devon offered a smile, adding, "You're doing me a great favor, Doctor. I'm sorry about your empire and your enemies but… with the power of the Krazoa, you'll be unstoppable. Good things come to those who wait."

"Thank you, Devon." Andross closed the channel and turned around, coming face to face with a man in a blue suit similar to Cornerian fashion but with unique highlights.

The man placed his paws one atop the other upon the handle of a walking cane. "I am Darius. I'm a watcher and, unlike my hunter counterpart, I implore you _not_ to do what you're about to do."

Andross narrowed his gaze. "Who are you and how did you get on this ship?"

"We the people of the Kew possess the ability to teleport great distances at a moment's notice. That is why hunters, like Devon, are so successful against telepathic foes. Telepathy only works so far and we can teleport in behind them from beyond their range; they never see it coming. I'm a watcher and it is my job to keep tabs on races that are of interest. However, we're peaceful. And the race Devon has asked you to 'accidentally' murder is a _very_ peaceful race."

"Will you alert them to what Devon has asked me to do?"

Darius shook his head. "I cannot. It's against the rules to let the telepathic race know that we're watching them. It's too dangerous to come from the shadows. But what he's asking you to do is also against the rules. Our people have sworn _not_ to go on the offensive with _our_ abilities because that makes us no better than those who need to be hunted. And, furthermore, genocide is deplorable."

Andross sneered. "I've not made my decision to do _anything_ just yet. I'm simply gathering information. Why are you coming out of your little shadow to speak with _me_?"

"I'm asking you to reconsider. I cannot promise you power or knowledge of my ancestors. I don't know anything about the Krazoa beyond fairytales."

"What of Devon? Would he lie to me about such things?"

"The concept of fabricating information is not something that comes easy to our people," said Darius. "I'm a watcher of a member of royalty on Cerinia, Doctor Andross. I watch over him and his daughter as they grow to become champions of peace. It gives me hope for some telepathic races and, perhaps, I'm a little bias towards them because we share the same ancestry. Needless to say, my good sir, Devon is most likely telling you the truth but I'm _still_ imploring you to do the _right thing_."

"You said Devon was breaking the rules by asking me to destroy Cerinia and make it look like an accident. Will there be an investigation?"

"The watchers and the hunters aren't friends," said Darius. "But when a watcher observes a telepath using their abilities to dominate their foes… and when they become dangerous to others… we report that person to the hunter tribe. Then we step aside."

Andross nodded slowly. "So Devon _can_ do what he's promised?"

"If he claims he can, I believe him," said Darius, sounding almost defeated. He began to ponder a way to break his own rules. "I fear our conversation is at its conclusion." He withdrew a translator device from his ear and offered it to Andross then gestured for the ape to turn around. When the doctor refused, Darius sighed and decided to teleport without further delay, temporarily blinding the doctor.

* * *

X

**Darius appeared in the chambers** of the Oracle and approached her. He settled down adjacent to her with a sigh. "I don't suppose you would wish to come back to Kew."

"I'm happy here," she said. "I age gracefully on Cerinia. I love helping people to become their potential and I wish to use _my_ unique gift to help this telepathic race. They're special; they're not like other telepaths and they're _not_ a warrior race, Darius. Why are you breaking the watcher's code?"

"I need a favor."

"I've retired from prophecies, Darius. I've retired from everything because I'm a great deal older than any other person on Kew. There's something about this world and prolonged exposure…"

Darius shook his head. "I've done something I'm not supposed to do… I developed feelings for my targets."

The Oracle's eyes widened. "The council would pull you off that case if they knew and…"

"I know," he said with another sigh. "I want you to understand something… Devon, a hunter, has found a way to destroy Cerinia. It will take a few years to happen. I've watched Marcus for ages and now I've watched his daughter since she was born. She's special. She's a precious girl and I don't want anything to happen to her. Her name is Krystal. I want you to do a reading on her when she's of age. And when that happens… I want you to say something to her and send her away. Give her direction without telling her the world will be destroyed. She wouldn't leave if she thought her family was in danger. She cannot know."

"Is this why you've asked me to come back to Kew after all these years?"

"Yes. You need not die in such a way."

"Where should I send her?"

"Send her…" He paused to think for a moment then offered a faint smile. "Send her to the Krazoa homeworld. The Krazoa staff – do you still have it?"

The Oracle nodded. "I do."

"The staff will guide her back to that world without her even knowing that it has a mind of its own. She'll need it to lock down that world – Devon plans to take a madman to that world and give him the key to the Krazoan technology."

"I'm unfamiliar with this hunter, 'Devon.' But… I would _rather_ stay here on Cerinia. I've made this planet my home. I'll do a prophecy for this girl, Krystal. She's the daughter of Marcus? Who is her people?"

"She's of the Cardinal Sun. She's recently undergone her coronation. It won't be long before she's old enough to request a prophecy reading."

The Oracle sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Darius… thank you for bringing this news to me. As you know, I cannot see my _own_ future… but the reason I'd retired is because I wasn't able to see people's futures passed a certain point. Now I see why… Cerinia _will_ be destroyed. That's why there is so much darkness after a certain point – it's all clear to me now." She looked devastated – on the verge of tears. "I will stay until the end. And I will give her the staff. Cerinians have made several just like it; they use them to protect themselves against wild animals and such. But _mine_ is from Kew."

Darius shook his head. "Yours is from our Krazoan ancestors. Didn't you know? I always thought it was a fairytale but the more I learn about it, the more I believe it to be true."

"I could never verify it, Darius. I'll tell her it's a special Cerinian PEWDER staff."

He nodded. "Don't tell her what it _really_ is. She'll find out for herself if she makes it to Krazoa. The people of Lylat now call it "Sauria". I should go."

"Thank you, Darius. Your information has answered a lot of personal questions I had about my abilities. Are you going to tell Krystal or Marcus?"

"Absolutely not. I've already broken the rules by forming an emotional bond with Marcus' daughter… I cannot allow myself to break the rules any further."

"So be it. Farewell."

"And to you." Darius stepped behind her and disappeared.

* * *

X

_Several MORE weeks later…_

**Marcus stopped his pacing **and turned to face his daughter. He approached the young girl and tilted his head. "What has you awake so late, Krystal?"

"Daddy, I can't sleep. I was wondering, why can't we hear the thoughts of that man?"

"The one who crash-landed in the capital of Argo Kandor?" He paused to sense the meaning of her definition of 'the man' then nodded, "Yes, Argo Kandor – his name is Andross Oikonny. He's a scientist from another galaxy and, like us, has been in contact with the people of Kew for some time. It appears we can't get into his mind. I'm not sure why. Perhaps his race is simply different? Perhaps he uses technology to block our abilities like the people of Kew. But as you know… we've come to benefit greatly from the _last_ extra terrestrial to come to this planet. We'll continue to show him respect. He's apparently solved their power grid issues on their west coast."

"I don't trust him," said Krystal with a frown. "I'm not sure why. When he came to visit, he was very nice. He paid attention to me and was polite but… something about him seems very… off."

Marcus ran his fingers through her hair. "Sweetheart, it's probably because you can't read his thoughts so it feels like he has something to hide. Don't judge unless he gives you a reason to earn your distrust. But, at the same time, I'm glad you're not blindly and naïvely overlooking everything about him."

"Will I have to meet him again?" she asked. "And what of his strange injuries? He has a strange metal box over one eye."

"He'll be here for a while; I fear he may have sustained them in his crash although I agree with your thoughts on the matter – some of them look several weeks old. He's asked to do research on our sun; he says he can show us how to use it to solve all our energy issues. That would help the global economy by providing… well… it's difficult to explain but… just know if he can come through on his promises, his research will help Cerinia for the better."

"Perhaps," Krystal mused thoughtfully, "It could be possible that he's stuck here for a while and wishes to make things better for everyone including himself since he has no immediate way to leave."

"That's my girl. That's the open minded princess I raised." He smiled softly. "Just know that we should treat him with respect just in case his intentions are as good as he claims."

Krystal lowered her eyes. "I understand." She offered her father a wan smile and said, "I should probably be in bed, daddy. I'll leave you to your pacing."

Marcus grinned and approached her. They embraced. He lifted his daughter up and carried her through the royal compound on his shoulders. "How about I tuck you in like old times?"

She smiled a bit. "That would be nice."

* * *

X

**Fox placed his palm **against the hull of the production model Arwing. His ears perked up, hearing the voice of Peppy from behind. "So I hear you're not a fan of the beta Arwing-LM, huh?"

"If I want to fly, I'll fly. If I want to pilot a tank, I'll do just that. Having an Arwing that transforms was a bad idea. You can't put a big enough engine in it to fly as fast as I like because the thing has to shift down and fold up into a tank. It's too light from the lack of a big engine so I felt tossed around in it. I'm always afraid if I'm attacked in mid-transformation that it could be fatal. This one, right here," he said, patting the production model Arwing, "is the one I want. I'll fly this one for the next decade if I have to. I heard that Space Dynamics is going to scrap their transforming model because it didn't get my recommendation."

"You saved the day in the thing."

"They removed a lot of the ship's capabilities and computer power in order to run the software and such for turning the thing into a tank. Plus, they should never have tried to make a mini biped attack tank. Having a flying tank is one thing – I love the Land Master, but the herky-jerky walking configuration of that damn contraption was… it was not a very good design. It could fall over if the pilot isn't careful – that would be a disaster."

Peppy shook his head with a chuckle. "Where's Miyu?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I kinda' made her mad, I think. I'd said something along the lines of, _'If Fara was around, she would have tested the Arwing-LM before us and told Space Dynamics to stuff it up their tailpipe.'_ She's starting to get tired of me bringing up my old flame. She's right; I'm not over Fara yet."

"I thought you two were doing an unofficial relationship. Do you want me to talk to her?"

"No, I don't," said Fox with an adamant tone. "She's right – I'm disrespecting her by talking about Fara Phoenix so much. It's obvious I'm not over Fara _nor_ am I over what happened. I shouldn't have let things get this far with Miyu. I rushed in. She accused me of making her a 'rebound lay' and she said she feels at fault for letting things happen the way they did."

"I see." Peppy stuffed his paws into his pockets. "Well, Fox, I don't know what to tell you. Falco said you were down here 'moping' because '_Miyu dumped Fox_', to use his words. Are you going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine. I've made more bad decisions involving women on this team than anything else in my life. I just don't know how to be a leader around women. I don't know how to properly respect them."

"Fay thinks you're a fine leader," replied the rabbit.

"Things are just… so complicated." Fox lowered his eyes and placed his right arm against his favorite fighter, tucking his head to the inside of his elbow with a forlorn sigh. "She's right, though. I rushed into dating, even though it wasn't supposed to be official. I thought, '_nothing gets you over the last one like the next one_' but… it wasn't true. Rushing into a 'next one' just complicated things. I feel like I've disrespected Fara's memory and I feel like I've led on Miyu. It wasn't my finest moment."

"Sex has the power to complicate things, Fox. Especially with a coworker. Everyone says they're going to be adults and be mature and act like things never happened when in reality emotions and bottled feelings of vulnerability cause deeper complications to arise. If what you're saying unfolded the way you're telling me… I wouldn't be surprised if she packs her bags and flies elsewhere. Sometimes running away is easier."

This time, Fox was the one to offer a concise reply. "Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me either." His eyes returned to the deck plates. "Damn."

"Look on the brightside," came a bubbly-sweet voice. Both men looked up at Fay as she walked out onto the flight deck. "If she does go, she has one hell of a resume… defeated Andross' remnants alongside of Fox McCloud, flying for Team StarFox." She licked her lips, approaching the two pilots. "I just had a long talk with her. She doesn't regret the things that happened with you, Fox, but she does regret that the bad timing on her part may have made it impossible to have a _real_ relationship with you. She said, despite her professional judgment, she caught feelings and that you weren't ready to be over Fara yet. Now _she_ feels ashamed."

Peppy asked, "What does she plan to do?"

Fay frowned. "She's second guessing her decision to become a mercenary. Now that Andross' fortress went crashing into the sun, it's safe to assume there won't be a lot of mercenary work available. Yet she's fairly confident the Air Guard would take her seriously, now. She's actually pondering officer's school."

"What about our relationship?" asked Fox.

"She wants to pretend it never happened. Fox, she said she's listened to you talk about Fara _quite_ a few times while lying in bed together. She said she's tired of feeling like she's always being 'compared'. She's tired of having it thrown in her face, even though it wasn't your intent to do so. She's tired of never stacking up to 'the Great Fara Phoenix.' So she's on the computer right now looking at different options. Her mind is set."

"Dammit."

"If you want her back," said Fay, "Go in there right now with roses and chocolates and tell her you love her or something."

Peppy turned to Fox to see what he'd say.

The vulpine pilot licked his lips then frowned. "But… I'd be lying to her if I said that. I'm not over Fara yet. So how can I love Miyu? It was dumb of me to fool around with someone I don't love. It messes with my head. Love and sex should go hand-in-hand. It not only makes the sex better, it makes the love better. And empty, hollow sex isn't …I don't know how to explain what I'm trying to say, here. But the next time I have sex, it's going to be with someone I want as my wife. I've made up my mind about that while standing out here and thinking."

Fay frowned. "Well then…" She stuffed her paws into her pockets, mirroring Peppy. She knew she'd failed her mission of trying to get Fox and Miyu back together and it caused her to sigh. "She's packing her bags soon. I don't know if I'm leaving or not, Fox. Miyu is my best friend and I have a family member," she trailed off, looking at Peppy as if to remind the rabbit that she was, in fact, related to General Pepper. "…My uh, family member says that fighting as a mercenary is too dangerous. I have to admit… if I was on your wing in Andross' base, I might not have made it. Falco was the right person for that job. And there will undoubtedly come a time when I have to fly an exceedingly dangerous mission. I'm not exactly ready to die just yet. No offense, Fox."

McCloud pursed his lips together. "I got locked into Andross' chamber to fight alone. That put Falco out in the main part of the base by himself, just like when Fara was on that patrol by herself. You're right; if it wasn't Falco, my wing mate may not have made it out of there. I shouldn't be endangering your life – being a _mercenary_ isn't as glorious as the title implies."

"I'll miss flying with you and I appreciate learning from the best." She approached Fox and hugged him firmly. She kissed his forehead and told him, "I'll always be your friend, Fox. If you ever need anything… I'm just a call away. I have some money saved up. Miyu and I will get a place together on Corneria until we figure out what to do."

"I'll give you a little something extra under the table. You guys were amazing to have picked up everything I told you girls to do in such a short time. I couldn't have beaten Andross so easily without such a fine crew. I appreciate everything you two have done for this team."

Peppy frowned. "I'll be honest, I didn't expect things to change so suddenly. Fox gets in one small disagreement with Miyu and, all at once, Star Fox is losing two pilots. I'm just… really surprised."

"Don't be," said Fox. "It's for the best."

"Well, all you kids seem to be on the same page. Heck, for all I know you guys all updated your online social network status; you read each other's update and came down here to finalize it in person. It just seems to happen a little too fast. Why not _talk_ things out?"

"Because it's something we all agree is in the best interest for everyone involved," Fay said to Peppy with a weak smile. "No fighting – there's nothing for you to mediate. We all agree that emotions and sex ruined a perfectly good situation. And that's why I'm waiting to get married to ever do anything with anyone. Not only that, it's the way I was raised. It's part of my faith and who I am to want to wait. And everything that happened is just further proof that rushing into sex can ruin your future. Anyway, I'm going with Miyu – I've made up my mind, now. Thank you both for the opportunity to be a mercenary fighter pilot. I enjoyed my time with Star Fox."

"Tell Miyu I said thanks. I'll understand if she's not really ready to talk to me face to face."

Fay frowned. "She's a little more mature than _that_, Fox. I'm sure she'll give you a great big hug and thank you for asking her to fly for the team. I hope you won't be upset with us for leaving so suddenly."

"I don't hold it against anyone," Fox replied. "I assure you guys that I agree that what we're doing is in everyone's best interest. Are you sure you don't want to stay a bit longer?"

"A few minutes ago I wasn't sure… but now I think I've made my decision and I stand by it." She turned to Peppy and hugged him then left the flight deck.

Fox sighed then turned to the rabbit with an expectant look. "Well? Aren't you going to say something to me?"

"Like what, Fox?"

"I don't know… '_Keep it in your pants_' or something?"

"No. This is the first time you've ever done anything like this. I think you've learned your lesson. Stop beating yourself up."

"Yeah… If we ever have another female on the team, I sure as heck won't rush into a relationship with her. That was really immature of me." Fox lowered his gaze to the flight deck again.

"Fox, stop beating yourself up about this. I mean it." Peppy reached up and ruffled the todd's hair. "Listen, Fox… you didn't have the childhood of a normal person – but you're just as normal as everyone else deep down inside. You are allowed to make mistakes. You're allowed to let the desire to find love cloud your judgment."

Fox kept his eyes on the deck. "Thanks, Peppy… but I've learned my lesson. In this line of work, you may only have once chance to learn your lesson. It's easy to get killed doing what we do. I've learned my lesson; I won't make the same mistake again. Actually, I'm done with relationships for a while. Fara is gone. Miyu and Fay are leaving. There will be no more distractions."

Peppy left the bay. Silence returned. McCloud reveled in it for now.

* * *

X

**A/N**: _Hey gang. Not much goin' on right now. It's now time to get into the SHEARS story arc. Then I'll follow Falco leaving and Krystal leaving Cerinia. _

_Take care!_


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: _It doesn't make a lot of sense to write about ALL the downtime Fox and his boys will have leading up to Falco leaving the team. In the second comic, Falco leaves four years after the defeat of Andross, but SF:Adventures takes place EIGHT years after the defeat of Andross. SO… that's four years without Falco. But the comic has a strange segue at the end, going straight into the arrival at Dinosaur Planet. So… I gotta tie up the inconsistencies to the best of my ability. Anyway._

* * *

Chapter -23-  
"Rough Transition"

**"Six months, Fox. I say we take the job."** Everyone turned to face Falco and, to Fox's surprise, Slippy and Peppy both nodded in agreement to Lombardi. The avian continued. "Dude, I know we're still sitting on all this money and stuff but who knows how long that will last without a war. I say we take the gig."

Peppy smiled. "He makes a point, Fox. More money won't hurt, especially since mercenary work is scarce right now."

Falco offered a wan grin. "I'm just saying what I think you guys want to hear. To be honest, I'm bored crapless. We need to have some fun. I won't lie – having money is great… having a big screen TV is awesome. Playing video games and eating junk food all day long is a dream come true. But I want to blow stuff up. It's been ages, man."

Fox sighed. "Falco, my gut says this job will be a pain in the tail, man."

"WHEN has our mercenary work NOT been a pain in the tail, Fox?" shouted Falco, arms in the air. "Seriously? That's seriously why you want to turn down this gig? Because it might be an inconvenience? What the hell is wrong with _you_? Fine, we'll do it without you and keep your portion of the cash."

McCloud frowned. "That's not what I meant. Dude, seriously, I just have this feeling like it won't be worth what they're offering. Call it a gut feeling."

"Look, I understand that part of this job isn't in a cockpit. Yeah, it sucks, but we've not been under fire for a while and I miss the adrenaline. So I say we do it. If we stick our noses up at the ONLY JOB OFFER in the last _six_ _months_ then we look like pretentious pricks. Now, I might be a prick but I'm _not_ pretentious!"

ROB turned about at the helm and said, "Pretentious, ostentatious or vulgar display. Intending to attract notice, impress others or showboat. Pompous and puffed up with vanity."

Slippy and Fox began to snicker in unison. Falco clenched his fists together. "Yeah, real funny you bucket head. It also means, like, a lack of elegance as a consequence of being pompous. It also means behaving in a manner as to create a false appearance of great importance or worth. It also means to make a claim of undeserved importance of distinction. I might be an 'elite' pilot of the 'prestigious' Star Fox team, but I'm not above taking a job that involves being under fire."

ROB simply replied, "Touché." He whirled back towards the helm.

"Yeah, that told you, ya smartass robot." He turned back to Peppy, Slippy and Fox who all appeared fairly impressed that Falco took a moment to appear out of character. "What? Are you guys flipping out because I used a few big words or something? Get used to it. I've been reading. Yeah. Reading. _READING_. That's how BORING it's been around here as of late. I've actually been picking up books, guys. I'm ready to drink beer and shoot things again. I'm not above taking a job that will require getting dirty."

"Well, since you're so sure of yourself," said Fox, "You can be in the trenches with me. Slippy, you're in a tank. Peppy, you're in an Arwing because I want an experienced and patient pilot who won't rush in at the wrong time just in case I need air support. This is going to be really dangerous." He crossed the bridge and approached the observation glass. "Rob, if you please?"

The blanket of space disappeared from view. A holographic map showed itself in grainy format above the glass surface. Slippy offered a moue of disgust. "This viewscreen sucks. We need to get one of those really nice holographic emitters. Everyone is going back to those because the newer ones look really real."

Fox frowned. "Yeah, I know… the viewscreen thing was in fashion when I got it but you're right… it looks like crap." He turned to face it and pointed a finger on a set of lines at the center. "This is the facility. The commissioning party is asking for us to extract the diplomat from the main building, through the city and to the park on the east end. The reason they asked us to do it is because a police swat team had two fatally wounded officers involved. If we fail, they'll call in the National Guard. I feel this job is better suited for them anyhow but since Falco is so damned adamant… we'll do it." He drew out his communicator and thumbed buttons on it for a moment then flipped it shut and stuffed it back into his pocket. This isn't going to be a cakewalk, you guys."

Peppy rubbed his chin. "It does seem odd that they would ask mercenaries to do this."

Slippy told them, "According to the message Fox received a little while ago, it's the diplomat who hailed us. He actually witnessed the two officers get shot. He called us for help, not the government. Besides, would _you_ trust the Macbeth guard? Most of them are reptiles who probably still hold a grudge against Cornerians for ruining their economy. This poor guy thinks they'll do a half-assed job of protecting him. I'd call elite mercenaries, too."

Falco folded his arms. "Why can't we just land an Arwing by the building, amp up the shield bubble and fly him out of there?"

Fox glanced at Peppy and Slippy then back at Falco. "Haven't you been watching the news, man?"

Lombardi chuckled. "Damn, dude, I'm not _that_ bored."

The vulpine pilot frowned again. "Falco, the diplomat went to Macbeth to try and help. He went to create ties between their government and Corneria. But the building was hit with a terrorist attack. Some crazy lizards actually ran into the lobby of this building with bombs and killed themselves to try and destroy the place. Of course, that building is designed to withstand serious punishment and the diplomat was nowhere near the lobby when those bombs went off. But still… if you bring a plane right there and land it in the intersection… that's one hell of a target. What we need to do is _sneak_ him out the back, through the slums and maybe even through the sewers. Then we meet up at the park where Corneria will have an extraction ship. Peppy and Slippy will protect that ship from attack. ANY attacks, whether it's a guerilla attack or an outright troop attack. Then, when the guy is on that ship… we can go the hell home. Still want to do this?"

"Sewers huh?" Falco rubbed the bottom of his beak. "Why do you think this job will be a pain? Unlike the SWAT team, we're not showing up in a big armored car with flashing lights on the roof. We won't attract attention."

Slippy blinked. "Um, Falco… if you're an extremist who wants to kill someone… it's pretty likely that you and your buddies are going to watch the building he's in. That means there will probably be a gunfight in the streets."

Falco threw his arms back up in the air. "Awesome! I'm all for it!" The other three pilots groaned. "What? Don't worry. We won't hit any innocents. People without guns tend to duck and cover when gunshots are heard."

Peppy stuffed his paws into his pockets. "Fox, the slums are dangerous. That town is notorious for crime. Remember, the drug runners consider this diplomat a threat because Corneria wants to help clean up the place. So they want to see him dead, too. I understand that the slums are the fastest and most direct way to get to the park but… can't you consider another way?"

"Please," snorted Falco. "I've lived in various slums on and off for my whole life. I've survived thousands of trained reptile soldiers. Twice. I think Fox and I can handle a little city crime."

"It's a shame we don't yet have the technology to create a shield barrier."

Peppy nodded. "Slippy is right. You guys will have body armor but that may not be enough to protect you from some whack-job nutcase with a shotgun who might be doped up on a bunch of different things. Just stay alert."

"We'll handle it," said Fox. "I didn't want to do this job at all. The pay isn't enough to put our necks on the line." His communicator chimed. He drew it from his pocket, opened it and looked at the small screen then flipped it shut and put it back into his pocket.

"Fox, you once turned down fifty large to save the Mayor's kid back on Papetoon. Since when did the size of the paycheck suddenly matter to you?"

Fox sneered. "When our lives became worth more money. When we worked hard to make a reputation as 'the best'. When we rescued the entire Lylat System by ourselves… that's when we became worth more than what we're being offered here. It's a generous amount for a rookie team but I don't want someone getting killed for a measly thirty thousand credits." Our last big job might have been dangerous but at least we were inside cockpits beneath a shield bubble."

"Okay, okay," Falco said. "I'll do it by myself. Stop bitching."

Fox ground his teeth together. "Everyone on the team agrees with you, Falco… we should take the job. This isn't a dictatorship. We're doing the job. I've already texted the guy and he's already transferred the money to our account." He patted his pocket where his communicator was located. "Look, we're low on time, here. We need to get ready and head down to the surface of Macbeth as soon as possible. Let's get it together."

"Now you're talking," said Lombardi. "There are no areal enemies, anyway, so sitting in a cockpit would be boring on this job. I'm ready to shoot up the town. Let's do this."

Peppy led Slippy off the bridge so they could get ready and head down to the flight deck. Fox deactivated the view screen and ran his paws up through his short tousled headfur. "Okay… I'm ready to do this. I don't like that you've talked me into this nonsense but… I'm ready. Let's go down to the flight deck. We'll land in the park, plot an on-foot route to that building, downtown… then we'll try and use the same route back to the park with the diplomat."

"What's his name anyhow?"

"Does it matter?"

Falco shrugged. "I just wanna know his name."

"George Randall Parker. He's an avian; a sparrow to be exact. He's with his bodyguard, a snow leopard named Tanya Harford-Redding. It's, uh, hyphenated. Whatever." Fox paused for a moment then opened his communicator again and read the forwarded message. "She's apparently wounded but nothing extreme. It says here that she broke two fingers on her left paw and suffered a flesh wound on her right bicep from the initial attack. She's okay but still requires medical attention upon extraction."

"Yeah, well, what are we waiting for? It's time to shoot things." Falco waved towards the door. "C'mon, fearless leader."

"Okay, let's go then. If this goes sour I'm blaming you." Fox grinned slightly. The two hurried off the bridge.

X

* * *

**"LOOK at you!"** shouted Wolf O'Donnell. His upper lip curled in disgust, his fangs glinting in the illumination of the overhead lighting. He brought his fist down on the map table. The lights flickered in response. "What now, fatty?" he exclaimed.

Pigma Dengar stood up fast, knocking his small metal chair back. It clattered with a hollow sound on the deck. "Right; I've had _enough_ of your insults, kid. I've been flying since before you were born and in _this_ business, flight hours are _everything_."

Wolf smirked, glad to finally see the swine had a spine. He put a cigarette into his maw, cupped a paw over the end and lit it. "You finally stood up against an insult. It only took two effing wars to finally see you're effing backbone …and only because you think I won't kick your ass."

"I was in the military long enough to learn how to defend myself against a punk like you, Wolf."

The lupine's brow lifted over his good eye. "Is that so? Because I teach my men how to fight – yeah, I know that doesn't make me a legitimate offensive and defensive instructor, shithead, but it means I practice a lot. You wanna go at it, piggy? No weapons, no safety gear. Just a good ole' fashion fist fight. You wanna do this right here, right now in the planning room?"

"Yeah, I do, you green-haired punk."

Wolf calmly exhaled a plume of smoke from his nose, down over the cigarette, then smiled at the other corner of his muzzle. "Green hair doesn't exactly make me a punk. Besides, I was thinking about going back to white. Looks more menacing. I don't like old losers like yourself underestimating me because they don't take me serious. If people don't take me serious, they won't hire me and _that_ costs me money. Money buys prestige, which equates to power. With power comes respect. But you know what I've learned, you fat, miserable piece of crap?"

Pigma began rolling up his sleeves. He half-forced them up passed his elbows due to the girth of his arms. "Yeah? What's that, ya' lil' prick?"

"I learned that sometimes," Wolf trailed off, watching Pigma strain to get the rolled sleeve up over his tubby bicep. "Sometimes," he continued, "nothing you have or do will earn _everyone_'s respect. Sometimes, you have to demand it from them and leave them no choice but to respect you. Now, you think you can challenge me, kick my ass and earn my respect but you're wrong. You'll still be a really sub-par pilot when you wake up tomorrow morning. Don't get me wrong – I made you a better pilot than Corneria ever did; you had no choice but to get better because you had a good machine and a really big war to survive. But Fox McCloud managed to shoot your fat ass down twice in a crappy prototype machine _WHILE_ Andrew and Leon had him distracted with trying to rescue his effing friends."

"He shot us all down," Andrew said, adding, "Leave Pigma alone."

Dengar turned to the youth and sneered. "Shut up, kid. I don't need your charity and I don't need you to defend me." He glanced back at O'Donnell and cleared his throat. "Fox rescued his little pals, they helped him in return. Nobody on this team helped anyone else."

Wolf hooked a thumb over at Leon. "Me and Lee look out for each other. We're a team, dickhead. The 'Old Man' threw you two on our team and screwed up everything. That's why we lost. Me and Lee had to babysit you two morons."

"Leon and _I_," said Powalski with a grin. "And Wolf's right. Andrew, Pigma, you two cost us our job and in-turn our employer. We failed to protect him because you bumbling idiots were stepping on our toes. Now Andross is missing – presumed dead – we don't have an employer and you two aren't our problem anymore." His now-raspy voice caused Andrew to visibly flinch. "What's wrong, chump? Don't like hearing what it sounds like to have your throat torn out in a fighter crash? Maybe if you weren't gunning for the worst pilot on the StarFox team – and failing miserably at it, I might add – then you could have helped your team members stay aloft. Then we, in turn, could have done the same. You're both worthless."

The lupine offered a grin. "Leon _and I_ want you two worthless shmucks off this sad excuse for a defense station. We're going to destroy what is left of Bolse and, with the leftovers, we're going to build the best station in the whole Sargasso sector. If either of you come through here again, it had better be for business purposes and I'd better like the ROI proposal you bring me. Else, I will cut your throats out."

Andrew glanced at Pigma and whispered, "What's an ROI?"

Pigma started rolling up his other sleeve. "Return On Investment, kid. Go pack your bags. This won't take long."

Andrew stood up, collected his notes off the table and walked out of the planning room. Dengar watched him go then shook his head. "Like he's really going to need that paper full of crap." He glanced back at Wolf then cracked his knuckles. "Okay, you arrogant little jerk. It's time to teach you a lesson in humility. Don't worry, it won't hurt after next week and it might make you a better businessman in your future time-wasting endeavors. Ready?"

"Leon, hold my smoke." Wolf took another puff of his cigarette, holding the miasma in his lungs. He handed his cigarette to the chameleon then turned to Pigma just in time to duck Dengar's attempt at a preemptive strike. He expelled the smoke in the hog's face, causing a brief distraction.

Wolf brought his paws up quickly, starting with two jabs to Pigma's gut. His right paw came up, seeking the older man's jaw but Pigma had his hands up high and managed to deflect Wolf's third punch.

O'Donnell made a fourth strike, hitting the pilot in his chest then a fifth and sixth jab went for Dengar's belly again. Just as soon as Pigma brought his hands down to ward off the lower blows, Wolf stepped forward and head butted the pig in his face.

Dengar groaned, stumbling backwards. Wolf drew his foot back then kicked Pigma at the center of his torso. The hog flailed backwards and hit a bulkhead. Wolf didn't give him a chance to recover. He hurdled over one of the metal chairs, vaulted over the one Pigma left lying on the floor then drew his right fist back and planted it firmly in the pig's right eye.

Wolf glanced quickly back over his shoulder at the chair lying on its back then threw his arms around Pigma's torso, put his left foot up on the bulkhead and pushed off of it. He performed a suplex, causing Dengar to land on the chair, crushing it. The lupine rolled over and got to his feet quickly.

Dengar lay on the floor, gasping for air like a fish out of water. Wolf leered at the man on the floor. "Knocked the wind out of ya', huh? Now what, you miserable fat punk?" He kicked Dengar in the ribs where he'd kicked the man seconds earlier. "Did you see how I lifted this _thing_, Leon? Damn, that was pretty awesome." He returned his attention to Pigma and shouted, "GET UP! ARE YOU DONE?" Wolf licked his lips then in a normal voice, said, "I'm not even panting yet. I've not even broken a sweat, bub! Pick yourself up off the floor and defend yourself!"

Pigma responded by offering the finger but was still unable to catch his breath. Wolf smiled. "Ballsy. There's that spine again. I really expected you to start crying or something. Maybe I don't know you as well as I thought I did. I'll let you walk the hell out of here with what little respect you have left. You can take that moron and his stupid notecards with you."

O'Donnell turned back to the half-crumpled metal chair then kicked it towards Pigma. "You can have _that_, too. It's useless now. I think you better check your ribs. Mmm, pork ribs. I bet there's enough meat on those bones to feed a homeless family for a full day."

Wolf turned away from the man on the ground. His ears flickered, hearing the man's breathing finally return to normal. Then he heard something metallic sounding. O'Donnell pivoted on his heel and brought his foot up, just in time to catch the barrel of a blaster. The deflected shot struck the ceiling. Wolf brought his foot up and stomped Pigma in the crotch. The hog curled into a ball, howling in pain.

"What's a matter, Pigma? Tender pork loins?" He reached down and took the blaster from Dengar's grasp and looked it over. "Hmm, since this thing is set to 'stun', I'll let you live. But if you ever try that again, I will tear your throat out and eat your heart. Do you understand me?" Wolf paused for effect then, at the top of his lungs, shouted, "DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND ME?"

Leon stood up, drew two knives and knelt beside Dengar. He placed one blade against Pigma's throat and the other against the hog's left kidney. "I could end your life with a flick of the wrist but you're not worth the time it would take to clean the blood stains off the deck. Take Andrew and leave. If you don't, I'll cut you into pieces, one bacon strip at a time." He laughed in a stomach-turning maniacal way then paused, mid-laughter, and said, "You're a sad sack of potatoes, and I am the colorful hand of death, just waiting for you to try something funny on _me_."

Wolf quirked both brows. "Leon, dude, I don't know how to tell you this but you've been acting awfully weird since you came out of that coma."

Powalski glanced back at his friend. "Yes, everything is clearer to me now than it was before the crash. Well, everything except my voice," he said then exclaimed, "I am but a simple, humble instrument!" in a bright and cheerful voice, then he turned back to Dengar and added, "…Of your _destruction_." He brought one knife upwards, slicing into Dengar's chin. A pink chunk of flesh rolled over Pigma's shoulder and plopped on the deck plating. "I won't even charge you for removing that blasted double-chin of yours. Oh, but I DO make an excellent plastic surgeon, don't I?"

Leon cleaned his blade on Dengar's shirt, ignoring the way the pig squirmed, using his pudgy palms to cover the wound. Blood trickled between the older pilot's fingers and stained the front of his clothing. The lizard twirled both knives in an impressive display of rehearsed skill then put them back into the sheaths he had on his belt. "_Now_ you may leave, you blob of failure. Go, go on now! Before I feast on your entrails… after all, Wolf already called dibs on your heart; I'm sure that over-sized motor of yours needs a triple bypass. Come to think of it, it's probably quite high in cholesterol. But I could make quite a dish with the rest of you! I could take your stomach and stuff it with…"

"LEON! Dude, shut up. You never used to say this weird crap. What's gotten into you?"

"Like I said, Wolf, I can see clearer than ever before." He turned back to Pigma and hissed in an aggressive fashion then walked out of the room. "I'll be on the observation deck, basking in front of the windows if you need me!"

Wolf shook his head. "Go to the sickbay and get some gauze. Check that right rib then get Andrew, pack your crap and leave." He removed the energy magazine from Pigma's blaster and threw the empty pistol on the deck by the pilot's legs. "Remember. Don't come back through here unless it's on business or unless it's to deliver Fox McCloud my way. I hope we have an understanding here." He left the room.

O'Donnell made his way up to the observation deck and approached the lizard lying on a desk that was pushed over by the windows. "What's gotten into you lately? Jeeze you're acting weird. Look, we need to make some money to refit this base into the all new Sargasso Station. I've got two jobs for us. The first one is a milk run; we take a copy of Andross' DNA over to this crazy dude named Shears. He works for the Cornerian military but he said he'd pay good money to get a sample of the Doc's hair. More money if we find something better. Let's face it, Andross was a geneticist. I'm headed back to Venom; I'm willing to bet he kept some of his cells frozen back in his lab."

"What's the second job?"

"We've been hired to assassinate a mafia family on MacBeth. Word on the street is, we have competition from some tall guy named Caruso. We gotta get the job done before _he_ gets the job done."

"It appears time is of the essence. I'll go to Venom, find the DNA sample and take it to this guy, Shears. Just give me the contact information so I can chart a course. I'll meet you on MacBeth."

"Sounds like a plan, brother." Wolf traded a fist bump with his long-time friend then walked back towards the double doors at the far end of the room. "I'll send you the data in a compressed, encrypted data stream. Head to Venom now. I'll get you the coordinates for the buyer as soon as I'm in my cockpit."

"See you there. Hell, we're down two pilots… maybe we should see if this Caruso guy is a better pilot than the last two. More pilots means more mercenary jobs become available to us. No one is going to hire a team of two because they would expect us to be outnumbered against whatever they need done."

"Yeah, yeah. Later." The doors thumped shut behind O'Donnell. He headed for the flight deck, stepping over metallic debris and clutter that littered the hallways. "I can't wait to refit Bolse Defense station into something that isn't a goddamned mess."

-x

* * *

"**Call me Captain Shears,**" said the uniformed canine. "I understand you're one of Fox McCloud's enemies."

"You could say that," said Leon, passing the man a small silver box. "The vial is frozen. You know, I passed a large ship on my way in. It appears you have pirate troubles – they were stealing supplies from you."

"Ah, yes, Katt Monroe and her gang of goons. I plan on using them as bait to lure in Star Fox due to her prior romantic ties to Falco Lombardi."

Leon flinched at the avian's name. "And what if they don't come? Or what if Monroe manages to best your trap? Or what if only Falco comes to save her?"

"I have a backup plan, of course. I'll personally hire StarFox to attack the pirates without letting them know that Katherine Monroe is the leader; that's Plan-A, at least. Then, after using them to rid myself of my pirate infestation, I'll analyze the data on their fighting technique and lure them into a trap they won't survive. If all else fails, I'll invite them to the base so I can fight them myself."

"And you're sure that would work?" Leon scoffed. "Fox McCloud has undergone defense training."

Reginald Shears turned to a pair of dueling swords on display above his desk. He removed one from the wall and twirled it expertly then he performed a series of thrust and parry exercises. He pivoted about, causing the sword to create a soft swishing sound then stopped, turned and thrust the blade forth one last time. It stopped less than an inch from Leon's nose.

"Impressive posturing but…"

"Wait." Shears smiled. "Just wait…" He retracted the sword then placed it back on the wall. Meanwhile, on his desk, an apple parted. The canine turned back to his desk and slid his paw over a dictionary. It came apart at his touch, diced into several pieces. Then he reached for a paperweight. The little fighter decoration came apart with a brush of his fingertips. The wings and ailerons came away from the fuselage, the hull came into three sections and the base upon which it sat came apart the same way. "A swordsman is ONLY as good as his sword and I have two of the finest in the quadrant."

"I admit, I have a greater respect for you now that I know you're skilled with a blade," said Leon. "However, all your moves are offensive tactics. Remember, a good defense can always topple a good offense. I don't know if Fox McCloud knows anything about fencing but he's a very defensive pilot. He guards himself, he positions himself and thinks about his next _ten_ moves. He protects his wing mates so that they protect him. The best way to beat him is to cut him off from his support, frustrate him, cloud his head with emotion then _stab him in the back when he least expects it_. My only problem thusfar is having the strategic positioning. If you plan on luring Fox McCloud here on foot, you have to gain his trust, wait until his guard is down, _then_ drive a blade into his back. Don't attempt to take him on if he's in his comfort zone."

"When I kill him, he won't be anywhere near a cockpit. I promise. I'll charge at him on a wild boar I've trained. He has razor-sharp tusks and will eviscerate that boy-wonder pilot."

"Remember, he's a well-rounded adversary. Your best weapon is misperception. Let him think he's working for you and you'll have a chance."

Shears took Leon's hand and they shook. "I appreciate your advice. I will make sure he _never_ sees it coming. I'll misguide him all the way up until the moment I run him through with my sword."

"A man after my own heart. A blade is so much more personal."

"If I can capture him instead, I'll hold him for Andross."

Leon face-faulted. "No one has heard from Andross since his base crashed into the sun. Trust me, Andross is most likely gone. Besides, I know Andross personally. He wouldn't take pleasure in the personal destruction of Fox McCloud –he's far too busy with other things. He would be quite happy if someone did the deed, then he would simply commend your actions and go back to his toiling… his life's work, whatever that may be. Some say he's working on a way to save Lylat, others say he's working on a way to own it. Still, others suggest that his only goal in life is tyranny …but you can't believe _everything_ fed to you by the government, now can you?"

"You're quite right, Mister Powalski. My thanks goes to your lead pilot, Wolf O'Donnell. Now, I'd better take _this," _he said, taking the box across the room, "And get back to _my_ work and research. Take care!" Shears bowed slightly then went back to his desk and opened a file folder. "Till we meet again."

"Yeah, sure," said Leon and left back the way he came. As he stepped onto the flight hanger, his mood changed as did the tint of his skin. "Time to go to MacBeth! Time to assassinate someone! Oh, my favorite thing! To watch someone _die_, hehe!"

x-

* * *

A/N: _Okay, I guess I'm doing stuff about StarWolf now. As well as Shears, Falco leaving to be with Katt… all that jazz. _


End file.
